Everything Is Better, Part Four
by CeleryLapel
Summary: This is a continuation of the series, "Everything is Better the Second Time Around." If Annie Edison had a child before she entered Greendale and how this situation might have shaped her and Jeff's relationship. Part Four begins at the close of Season Three.
1. Family Addition

**Chapter 1: Family Addition**

Summary: Annie and Jeff decide to make room for a bundle of joy

It was the beginning of summer term and, with determination, Annie made her way toward the administration building, her sensible yet slightly wobbling heels click clacking against the pavement. She glanced with a small frown at her skirt suit ensemble, hoping it would do. She reasoned to herself she needed to appear sharp today, as she and the Dean were meeting with Vice Dean Laybourne, the Dean of Admissions - Patrick Isakson, and two members of the school board - Richie Countee and Carl Bladt to discuss the Air Conditioning Repair School needs and the Dean's recent insistence that they not badger other Greendale students. Annie was all too eager to join the Dean in the meeting to make sure he stayed on task and that someone kept an accurate recording of events. But of course Annie and the Dean both knew she'd probably end up doing most of the talking anyway.

She paused for a moment to smile and adjust her hair behind her ear, perhaps puffing out her chest just a little as she began to relish the idea of presenting their case.

"Oi! Annie!"

She looked up to see Ian Duncan approaching her, looking very put together himself in a button down dress shirt and a tie as he carried a small briefcase under his arm.

"Good morning. Are you teaching a summer class?"

Ian nodded with a soft sigh. He then took a double take at her outfit and remarked, "Where are you off to looking so polished?"

"Oh, this old thing?" She may have blushed just a bit, turning slightly so she could almost model the ensemble. "I have a meeting with the Dean and some administration officials. I wanted to look professional."

He raised his eyebrows and gave a nod. "I think you look mighty damn professional."

She grinned. "Jeff helped me pick it out. I asked him what an assertive female lawyer would wear. I used it for the yam trial too, and while we didn't actually win that case, we almost did, so I'm hoping it brings me good luck."

"Makes sense." Nodding absentmindedly, Ian began to scan the quad. "Is Winger around? I wanted to pick his brain about something."

She shook her head. "He's at home with Sophie today, but you could probably call him. I think they were meeting up with Troy, Abed, and Britta." She added apologetically with a waive of her hand, "Something about basketball, but honestly I was too preoccupied this morning I can't really remember what he told me they were up to."

Ian groaned as he smacked his head, "Well, I can't talk to him about my love life in front of Britta, now can I? Bloody hell."

"Oh." Her face fell slightly, her eyes widening at the melodramatic nature of it all.

Appearing to quickly recover, Ian said, "Nevermind. I'll pin him down later. Can I have him sometime later in the week?"

"Um, I guess."

"Excellent. I'll send you a calendar invitation and you can send him to me."

Before she could react, Ian's eyes caught something in the far bushes. He furrowed his brow and mumbled, "Now that's odd."

As Annie turned to see what he was looking at, she heard the whine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Abed slammed the basketball through the hoop.

"Boo-yah, Jeff! I'm channeling my inner evil SantaWizard so that you are intimidated."

Jeff pursed his lips as he caught the rebounding ball. "Since when did you get so good at this game?"

Abed tilted his head and shrugged. "Troy's been helping me with my moves. I thought I needed to hone my athleticism so you and I could have more male bonding scenes this season. But frankly, and I don't say this lightly, you're _terrible_ at this game."

Jeff began to dribble the ball. "You already know that. We've played before."

"But I would have assumed you'd have gotten better at it by now, or otherwise why continue to play with us? You're a perfectionist Jeff, and you hate losing. It's a bit out of character for you. I hate lazy characterization."

Jeff stopped his dribble and held the ball once again, this time even more tightly. He took a deep breath before saying, "I'm playing with you guys because we're _friends_ , and I'm trying to learn how to be more _loose_."

"Ah, so Annie suggested it."

Squeezing the ball, he explained, "She didn't, actually. Troy and I were talking, and he invited me. I decided Sophie and I needed to get out of the apartment anyway."

"Oh, so free childcare?" Abed cast a glance over to where Britta and Troy were busy chasing a giggling Sophie around on the grass near the bleachers.

Jeff followed his gaze with a frown of annoyance. "No. I don't need help taking care of Sophie. But she likes you guys, so you know."

"Ah. You're trying to make sure Sophie's happy. That's good."

"Don't sound so surprised. You know I've always tried to make sure Sophie was happy."

"That's true. Okay, your characterization is consistent. And I suppose trying to spend more time with your friends, meaning us, is also consistent with how far you've evolved since our pilot. I'll allow it."

"Thank you, Abed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I…can't….reach…. it."

Annie leaned down and swatted at Ian's arm near the bushes. "Don't touch it! You don't know what it is!"

Ian looked up at her from his crouched position on the grass and scoffed. "I can handle this! It just needs help."

"It could bite you!"

"But it might be hurt."

"We'll call animal control. I'm sure they'll help it."

With a look of horror on his face, Ian jumped to his feet and grabbed the phone out of her hand.

"You'll do no such thing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff sat down on the bench and began to chug his water bottle while wiping the sweat from his neck.

Britta rolled her eyes and plopped down next to him.

She remarked sardonically, "It's been really fun to watch you out there. Your moves, they are stellar."

"Bite me."

She smiled smugly as she continued, "I'm glad you guys joined us."

"Were you seriously going to come if the munchkin wasn't here?" He watched with amusement as Sophie squirted Troy with a small purple water gun.

 _Wait, where did she get that?_

Britta's loud sigh pulled him back to their conversation. "Maybe. I wasn't working today. It's nice out, Abed and Troy are kind of fun to hang out with sometimes."

"Do you play basketball?"

"Of course I don't. I mean I _could_ of course. But I just don't."

"Ah."

Britta began to contemplate her combat boots, pushing on the lower bleacher bench. "Hey, what's Annie up to later this week? I need to talk to her about something."

Jeff groaned. "Since when am I her social coordinator? Text her." He took out the water bottle and took a big gulp.

"She told me she had a big day today, so I didn't want to bother her. I thought I'd ask you. Is there a time when she's free and you could be with Sophie?"

Jeff eyed her skeptically. "I suppose we could figure something out. Maybe Thursday night?"

She nodded while continuing to study her boots. "Yeah, that might work."

"I'll convey the message."

"Thanks."

As Jeff regarded the antics of the trio on the lawn, he asked nonchalantly, "Hey, what's Shirley up to these days?"

"I think she's pretty busy with the sandwich shop. Summer session started."

He nodded. "So Andre's home with the boys this summer or…?"

Frowning and sneaking a peak at him out of the corner of her eye, observing his overly affected detached demeanor, she responded, "He's working part-time, has the kids sometimes, sometimes they're with her mom."

"Cool."

There were some moments of silence.

Finally, Britta almost tentatively said, "Hey, you should invite Andre to your daddy outings."

He squinted. "Daddy outings?"

"You know, those times you hang with Thanos and his kid at the playground."

"How the hell?"

"Annie."

"Right."

She smiled and they both watched as Abed and Troy fell to the ground while Sophie continued to squirt them. Britta laughed.

"She really loves them."

"Yeah, she does. She loves you too, you know."

Britta turned to him with an expression he wasn't sure if he had seen before.

 _She almost seemed, what was the work Ian tended to use? Chuffed?_

She said her face now in a grin, "She's my favorite niece."

He chuckled as he tossed his towel over his neck and leaned back on his elbows.

They continued to watch the kids play, allowing the silence to be comfortable this time. Jeff found himself actually beginning to relax. While he knew he sucked at basketball, he had to admit it had been a pretty good workout. And right now he didn't even need to concern himself with entertaining the munchkin. He was free to feel the sun on his face. He was finding himself oddly comforted by Britta's laidback presence on this fine day.

"She needs a playmate."

His eyes went wide. "Jesus, Britta."

"What?"

"We are _not_ ready for that. And frankly, it's none of your business."

Britta turned to him with a snort. "I meant a _dog._ You guys said you were getting her one, right?"

"Oh, um right."

She rolled her eyes.

He added in a mumble, "Forget I said that."

She smacked him on his leg. "Hey, when are we going to my shelter, anyway? It's summer! Let's do it."

In the background Sophie yelled, _"Daddy, Troy sitted on me!"_

"Soon. Very soon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie sat in the meeting with the Dean, fidgeting with her blazer as she attempted to remain focused on the inane content. She tried not to think of the furry creature in the bushes outside. Ian had insisted he could take care of the situation and pushed her off to her meeting so that she wouldn't be late.

"So you see, Greendale Community College prides itself on the five As: Accessibility, Affordability, _Air Conditioning_ , Awesome New Friends, and A lot of Classes."

Vice Dean Laybourne stopped in his pacing and smiled for dramatic effect as he pointed to the PowerPoint slide.

"Well now, I suppose we must keep Air Conditioning then. It seems pretty important."

Annie cast the Dean a glare, clearing her throat as she stood. Addressing the administrators, she asked, "May I say something?"

"Of course, Miss Edison."

"Thank you. I speak on behalf of Dean Pelton, when I say that we are aware that the Air Conditioning Repair School is a vital part of Greendale Community College. We make no motions to change this."

"Oh, that's right, silly me."

She smiled tightly at the Dean and then continued, "We merely wish to have it understood that the Air Conditioning Repair School cannot engage in forceful recruitment strategies with Greendale students."

"Forceful? Why that's an exaggeration. Now, Miss Edison…"

-"You use blindfolds. Exhibit A. A photo."

With a gleam in her eye, she watched as Vice Dean Laybourne began to sweat.

 _Good thing he knows about Air Conditioning._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Jeff, since you're not very good at this game, perhaps we could just call it a day."

"Knock it off, Abed. I'm only four points behind."

"We've been taking it easy on you, haven't we Troy?"

Troy smiled sheepishly. With a tremble in his voice he said, "Oh come on, Abed. We are not."

"But you said…"

-"Hey Jeff, let's just play. Ignore him. I'm sure you'll catch up."

Jeff stopped his dribble and squinted his eyes. "You guys suck, you know." He turned and threw the basketball at Troy, stomping back to the bench, where Britta sat with Sophie, who was busying herself eating a bag of Ruffles Potato Chips.

" _You didded good, Daddy,"_ came the comment between chomps, adding as almost an afterthought but what Jeff suspected was her main concern at the moment, _"I like Wuffles."_

He couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, munchkin. Tell Mommy I did _well_ , too, okay?"

Sophie nodded as she handed Britta the now empty bag and yawned.

He sat on the other side of her as she placed her head in Britta's lap and kicked her legs up onto his.

He smirked as he looked down. "You have stylish shoes."

"Come on, clearly you got those for her. They're so gaudy."

He grinned as he smacked the bottom of Sophie's left shoe, appreciating the way they lit up pink as she kicked.

"Courtesy of my mom, actually."

"Oh, how is she?"

He frowned. "My mom? She's fine."

Britta smiled softly. "She's cool."

"Well, obviously. She's my mom."

Troy came ambling up to them, Abed on his heels. "Jeff, look, I'm really sorry. We just wanted to have a good game, and we know you probably don't practice as much as we do since you must spend a _lot_ of time in the gym working on sculpting your abs…"

-"Oh these?" The lift of a shirt with a smirk followed.

"Douche."

-"And you have to take care of Sophie and everything, so no one could blame you if you didn't have time to be good at basketball."

"Thank you, Troy," Jeff said dryly.

Abed peeked past Troy. "We should do something else. Something less athletic. How about coming over to Neil's place with us tonight to play D&D?"

Britta continued to pet Sophie's sleepy head and chuckled.

Jeff affected a nonchalant pose. "You guys know I don't play that really. It was just that one time."

"We know you're a huge nerd."

Jeff squinted at Abed. "I'll pass."

Troy frowned, "But you played with Neil, Vicky, Garrett, and slim Neil two weeks ago. Our Neil told me."

Jeff's eyes widened for a quick moment before he sat up straighter and reached for Sophie, pulling her carefully onto his lap. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Abed said, "Bring chips. Oh, and Pierce is coming too, so we might need some extra soda. Bring soda too."

Jeff glanced over at Britta, who was doing her best to stifle her laughter, her face turning a bright pink.

"Shut up."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie passed by Ian's psychology classroom, her face flush with victory. Noticing the door was ajar, she took the opportunity to listen in.

"So that's pretty much it, really. Skinner boxes. Chapter one. See you all Wednesday. Don't bother me in the meantime."

"Ruff! Ruff!"

"Can I pet him?"

"No, Kevin. And it's a _she_."

Garret screeched, "She's so cute! Is she going to be here every class period?"

"Well now, I haven't yet thought it through… But why am I answering your questions? Shuffle off now, the lot of you!"

"Hey, since I live with you I should probably know more about where the dog came from."

"Class dismissed."

Annie's eyes widened as she stepped back from the door and opened it to allow the summer school students to filter out. When she thought the coast was clear, she stepped in to find Ian sitting behind the lecturer desk, a small dirty white terrier mix on his lap. She watched as he pet it tenderly on the head, the dog licking his hand in response.

Kevin Chang sat in the front row desk, a developmental psychology textbook in front of him. He was staring at the dog with suspicion as Ian avoided his gaze and looked down at his lecture notes.

Annie smiled as she walked over to them. "You brought it in here?"

Ian looked up and tilted his head, his brown eyes opening wide. "I didn't know what else to do on the spur of the moment. She was tangled in the shrubbery, but I managed to free her. So yes, I suppose she's now attended her first Greendale class."

Annie smiled tightly. "She could have rabies."

He scoffed. "She doesn't have rabies. She'd be acting all strange."

Annie's eyes went to the creature, noticing its snarled coat. She ventured, "She could have fleas."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." He popped open a soda can, eyed it with some disgust, and then took a big gulp.

"You could spread fleas throughout the school."

"Hey, he lives with me. I could have had fleas. But I _didn't_. He's a nice guy."

"Thank you, Kevin."

"You're welcome. Can she sleep in my room? You have Britta. I get lonely."

"No. I'm taking her to a vet to get checked over just as soon as I put my things in my office."

Kevin whined, "But we're keeping her, right?"

Ian looked over at him with a sigh. "Honestly, I haven't had a chance to think it through. I don't know if she's chipped with identification."

"But if she isn't…"

-"We should see if someone claims her. I'll put up an advertisement."

"But if no one comes…"

-"I don't know if she'll get along with the crabs. Or the cats."

"We don't have cats."

"Britta has cats."

"But Britta doesn't live with us."

"I know, but…" Ian let out a sharp breath before he continued, "I'm taking her to the vet and we can sort this all out later."

Annie stepped over to regard the dog, noticing she couldn't even see its eyes under all the matted fir. In fact, with the exception of the tongue, which kept slurping Ian's hand, it was difficult to tell if it was the head.

She murmured, a tenderness in her tone, "Her fur is so dirty. I wonder how long she was out there?"

Ian sighed again. "I don't know. But poor thing was glad to get some help."

Annie continued to eye the dog with concern. "I'm sure the Dean wouldn't mind if I took a long lunch break. Can I come with you?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff sat in the visiting room of Britta's no-kill shelter, staring at the dirty white terrier, who he was assuming was cocking its head at him. He honestly couldn't tell where it was looking, as the eyes were not visible.

"Annie, you can't be serious. It's filthy."

At the sound of his voice, the stubby tail began to wag.

Annie smiled as she crouched down on the floor and motioned for the dog to come over to her, which it promptly did with a little trot.

"They're going to clean her up," she said gently as she scratched behind the dog's ears. "And it's a _she_."

Jeff found himself smiling slightly as he watched Annie almost melt, leaning her face in to see the terrier up close.

She said softly, "She's not even afraid of me. And she doesn't have fleas or anything else seemingly wrong with her, but they think she had puppies at some point, but not recently. She needs to be spayed of course. And they're guessing she's around two-to-three years old. So she's the same age as Sophie."

"Not in dog years."

"Well, duh."

Jeff leaned back slightly in his chair and began to slowly nod his head. "Any theories on where she came from?"

Annie continued to pet the dog behind her ears, an action that was followed by a nuzzling into her chest. "She either got out or someone let her loose. Britta says people do that a lot, unfortunately, especially if they don't want to breed a dog anymore. It's very sad."

She added as she watched him out of the corner of her eye, "She's just really dirty and needs to be groomed."

With a sigh of resignation, Jeff got up and walked over to join them. He also crouched down as he observed, "You have fir on your suit."

"I don't care. She's perfect."

He put his hand out for the dog to sniff. "Annie."

There was a lick.

"Awww. She likes you."

"Is she house trained?"

"We don't know yet. Ian says he's willing to foster her until someone adopts her, so I suppose he'll find out very soon."

Jeff chuckled at that image for a moment before he asked, "Does she bark?"

"Maybe. We've only heard her say a few _ruff ruffs,_ but they weren't even that loud. She's some sort of border terrier mix. She might even be part Westie. She might not be that big of a barker unless she's chasing something."

"Like toddling hobbits?" He carefully reached over to pet the dog's head.

She smiled up at him. "We'd have to make sure they were a good match, of course, and keep them separated if no one's watching for awhile. But we could introduce them and see."

He regarded the creature with a frown, which quickly began to turn upwards. "But are we sure it's a dog? It's small. I kind of wanted a larger one."

She stared at him intently. "One word for you, Jeff. Lexus."

He arched a brow. "Oh, I should be clear we're only hauling her around in _your_ car anyway, which, um, is pretty small. Which is also, um, another reason why your little _panic plan_ made no sense since I don't think for a moment we could fit two car seats and a dog in there."

She eyed him suspiciously and decided to gloss over his little jab. "Would you be okay with a dog of this size? She's eleven pounds, but pretty underweight. They said she should be no more than fourteen though."

He shrugged. "Baby hobbits are small too."

x

x

x

"How come you've never gotten a dog?"

He shifted in his spot on the couch where they lay after putting Sophie to bed, Annie curling up into his side.

"They're a lot of work. I was always putting in long hours at the firm or going out with people afterward, it didn't make a lot of sense."

"But you've always wanted one."

"I go and walk Hank. That gave me a little fix." After a moment he added, "Don't tell my Mom I enjoy it."

She rolled her eyes and sat up on her arm to regard his bemused expression. "I think she suspects you do. But I still don't understand why you never got one of your own, even with all the work. The Jeff Winger I know would have been so enthralled with his dog he probably would have cut back on the _socializing_ and spent his time with his best friend."

"You're my best friend."

"Ditto, but you know what I mean."

"Honestly?"

She nodded.

"I never got a dog because as an adult I've never had a _home_. Now with you and the munchkin, I do."

His eyes lingered on hers.

"Awww." She smiled as she moved one leg over his and pushed herself so that she was on top of him, leaning down for a long kiss.

x

x

x

They awaited news from the shelter to know if the dog was claimed. In the meantime, Ian fostered her, making sure the hermit crabs remained in their terrarium and that Kevin kept the front door closed at all times. It turned out she was housetrained, which again pointed to her having previously been well cared for. Yet no one was coming forward.

Ian decided to call her "Madeline," and made a point of instructing Annie to tell Jeff this was the name. He didn't elaborate on his reasoning, but merely chuckled to himself as Annie eyed him in confusion.

According to Ian, the dog seemed perfectly content to hang out with him at Greendale, now sitting happily while leashed at the side of the room while he taught his summer class. Not surprisingly, the Dean agreed to look the other way and was all too eager to give her a good pet now that she had been cleaned and groomed. Annie stopped by the classroom to see her and observe the way she behaved with the other students and the chaos of Greendale, coming away impressed with the dog's temperament.

Jeff made excuses why he couldn't come by campus to meet her again now that she was all cleaned up. He told Annie to tell Ian that perhaps he should have named her, "Elaine," but similarly did not elaborate, leaving Annie to roll her eyes.

"You know, you two don't need to refer to ex-girlfriends through me, right? It's more than a little awkward."

"Elaine was his ex-wife, not his girlfriend."

"And Madeline?"

"Former, err, yeah, okay."

"Tell me more."

"Ancient history. I was stupid. The end. I'm sure you're really surprised."

x

x

x

After a week with no news, Annie flashed him a grin and threw her hands around his neck.

With an exasperated sigh, he said, "Fine. We'll go see her again. But we have to make sure we're serious about this before she meets Sophie."

She batted her lashes. "I know. And of course we'll have to make sure Sophie is appropriate with her and that the dog isn't aggressive with kids."

"Right. So we're not adopting her today, okay?"

"Okay. But if it doesn't work out for us, I hope they find her a home."

"Oh please. You and I both know Ian will cave."

"He's worried about Britt's cats and the crabs. And Kevin."

Jeff squinted down at her. "I see."

"So we should really take this seriously, Jeff. We want to make sure she has a good home."

x

x

x

Annie grinned. "Oh my god, didn't I tell you she's adorable?"

Jeff smiled incredulously as Annie kept squeaking and clapping her hands. He stared down at the now ivory-colored and immaculately groomed terrier in front of them, eyes clearly visible.

Big, brown, soulful eyes.

He found his chest wrenching yet again. "Goddammit. Fine. Let's introduce the munchkin."

"Ruff!"

Annie plopped herself on the floor and picked up the wiggling dog, giving her a good pet. Her eyes still on the creature, she asked, "What do you think of the name Sadie?"

He laughed as he joined her on the floor. Reaching over to scratch the ears, he remarked, "Sure. Where did that come from?"

Annie turned toward him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I've always liked the name. It was my runner-up for Sophie. But I'd still like to use it. Isn't she a cutie?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Sadie means _princess._ "

"Perfect."

x

x

x

"Sophie, sweetie, we have someone we'd like you to meet."

Annie motioned for Sophie to follow her from the shelter waiting area to the back greeting room. Sophie regarded her with curiosity from her spot on Britta's lap.

Britta placed her on the ground. "Go with mama."

" _Okay._ "

Britta turned to Ian with a grin. Her face practically glowing, she mouthed, "This is so exciting!"

He chuckled and placed his arm around her.

x

x

x

Jeff looked up from his spot on the floor with Sadie, nuzzling her fur. He found himself almost on the verge of tears, and while he was pondering if that was something to be concerned about, he heard the munchkin enter.

" _Doggie!"_

Her face lit up and she did a little bounce while squeezing Annie's hand.

Annie leaned down and said while still holding on, "That's right, sweetie. But we're going to be very careful, okay? Dogs are _breakable_."

" _Oooooh."_ Sophie nodded her understanding.

"Ruff! Ruff!" Followed by tail wagging.

Annie and Jeff exchanged hopeful looks, and then Annie gingerly let go of Sophie's hand. They both approached Jeff and Sadie, Annie sliding into a seated position on the other side of Jeff as Sophie regarded the dog curiously.

" _Hi doggie."_

"Ruff!"

" _I ped doggie?"_ She looked at her parents for confirmation.

Attempting to suppress the lump rising in his throat, Jeff leaned over and took Sophie's hand and held it out to Sadie. He said in his most authoritative sounding voice, "We hold our hands out like this, and we allow her to sniff you. Be very still."

" _Okay, Daddy."_

Letting out breaths of relief, Jeff and Annie watched as Sadie promptly took to Sophie and began to lick her hand, followed shortly by attempts to nuzzle into her, tail wagging the whole time.

Sophie could barely contain her excitement, but did her best to be a good girl and stay fairly still. At Jeff's urging, she began to gently pet the dog, as she had previously been instructed to pet Hank.

" _Doggie nice."_

"Ruff!" More licks.

"She is, isn't she, sweetie? Her name is Sadie."

"Ruff Ruff!" More tail wags.

Sophie giggled and then began almost sputtering with excitement. She looked up at her parents and said, _"No say-dee. Wuffles."_

Annie and Jeff exchanged confused looks. "Wuffles?"

" _Yah. Doggie go wuff wuff!"_

"Oh, I see. Ruffles."

" _Yah, mama. Und I weally lub wuffles. Dey good."_

"Sweetie, are you saying you want to name her Ruffles?"

" _Ya! Wuff wuff, wuffles. Wuffles silly."_

With shrugs and stifled laughter, Sadie became Ruffles.

x

x

x

"I can't believe she named our dog after food. Scratch that, I can believe it."

Annie looked over at Jeff from her spot in the living room chair. She was crocheting a lavender colored blanket for Ruffles, having pulled out the materials she hadn't touched since before Sophie was born, when she did her best to remember her bubbe's teachings and made Sophie a light pink blanket. She had insisted to Jeff that their new addition receive the same treatment and was eager to present it to Ruffles once she was home from her surgery, which would be in two days.

Working with intent, as time was of the essence, Annie furrowed her brow and looked back down to inspect her work, she responded, "I think it's cute. And the dog doesn't care, so why not?"

Jeff affected a serious expression, but it was taking more and more effort to do so. He picked up the remote and clicked on the television, making sure the volume was set low since Sophie had just been put down for bed fifteen minutes ago.

"You're right, but now you don't get to use Sadie."

She replied teasingly, "Well, you never know. Maybe I'll get a chance to use it someday."

With a smirk, he said, "Yeah, maybe. We'll see."

"We probably have our hands full for awhile, huh?"

He looked over to see her smiling shyly at him, her cheeks turning a slight pink. He replied, "Oh, I'd say so. See, this is why we don't _panic._ You love this dog. See what you'd have been missing out on?"

With more than a hint of sarcasm, she remarked, "We could have done both," and immediately snorted.

He found himself responding in kind. "We can barely fit the munchkin and a tiny dog in your car, Annie. And like I said, Ruffles is not entering the Lexus. No way."

"Maybe we could put down a seat covering?"

"Hmm. Maybe." He flipped through the channels, absentmindedly settling on Glee.

Annie regarded the television with amusement. "You hate this show."

His eyes widening, he responded, "Oh, um, whoops." He promptly flipped to the next channel. "Thanks for saving me there."

She let out a low laugh. He shrugged and leaned back to take in a documentary on the Great Lakes.

After about ten minutes of Annie working on her blanket and Jeff becoming educated about the effects of cryptosporidium on the inhabitants of Milwaukee in the 1990s, he muttered, "Your car is crap."

Annie's eyes shot up, and her hands stilled. "I know."

He nodded, his eyes remaining fixed on the screen. "We should get you a new car."

"I don't have money for a new car. You know that."

"I picked up a pretty lucrative new case at the firm. With my earnings and some of my savings, we can probably get a decent used car."

She stared at him for a few moments, wondering about his seemingly random and sudden fixation on her car. He had made many comments earlier on in their friendship about her car being _crap_ , but he had wisely stepped away from that sensitive topic quite some time ago. She furrowed her brow in thought.

"Let's get something larger. And then you can haul the munchkin and Ruffles around."

"Ruffles will fit in my crappy car, Jeff."

"But your car's not going to last much longer anyway, and it's probably not the safest. So let's upgrade, something we can throw the munchkin's stuff into when we go to my mom's too, or go on a trip or whatever."

"A minivan?"

She watched with amusement as he pursed his lips in irritation.

"Actually, I was thinking of some sort of SUV. We could take it up into the mountains even. The Lexus doesn't do so well up there."

"You're keeping the Lexus?"

"Annie, Annie, Annie. I have an image to maintain."

"I know."

x

x

x

They finally transported a newly spayed but recovered Ruffles home, Sophie in tow. They decided to use Annie's car for the transport, with the understanding they would go used SUV shopping the following weekend.

Upon returning to the apartment, they introduced Ruffles to her territory as well as her open crate, lined with the now finished lavender blanket and some chew toys. Jeff had insisted that although she appeared house trained and didn't probably need to be crated, they weren't yet sure if she'd be destructive in any way when they were out and would also probably need a place she could go to feel secure. They agreed they'd leave the crate open during the day and depending on how things went, at other times as well. And it was to stay in the corner of the living room.

"You know a lot about dogs." 

"I told you, after my dad left, my mom got one for protection and also because my dad never let us have a pet."

"Oh."

"And I think my mom knew having a dog would make me feel more secure, too."

They both watched as Ruffles continued to inspect her new surroundings, sniffing and tail wagging throughout her exploration. Annie smiled as she saw Jeff scramble over to their bedroom and quickly shut the door. He cocked an eyebrow in her direction and she nodded before taking Sophie's hand and helping her follow Ruffles around.

" _I wan wuffles in my woom."_

"No, sweetie. Ruffles stays out here."

" _Wuffles need Fee."_

"Maybe in a little while, when she's settled in and if you two are getting along and you treat her _very carefully_ , _because Ruffles is breakable,_ we'll see…"

"Annie."

x

x

x

That day, Ruffles Bananas Edison-Winger joined their family.

She appeared pleased with her sleeping area, and readily allowed Jeff to close her crate that evening as he and Annie went to bed. She really did seem like the perfect dog for them.

At around one in the morning, the whining began.

"Dammit."


	2. Advanced Genograms

**Chapter 2: Advanced Genograms** __

Summary: Annie and Jeff navigate family celebrations

" _Wuffles mine?"_

With a smirk, Jeff looked up from the adoption certificate, his pen held aloft. Annie placed a kiss on Sophie's cheek as she shifted her on her lap.

They were seated around the dining table, having a family meeting.

Ruffles was wandering around near their feet, pushing a small green ball around. In the past week that they had Ruffles, they were learning her little quirks, including some make believe games of hunting prey, which tended to involve the ball flying across the room followed by scuffling and ruffing sounds. So far, Sophie had been enthralled with their new pet, squealing as Ruffles tore across the room.

Annie exchanged bemused looks with Jeff and said, "Sweetie, Ruffles is _ours_. She's a member of our family now."

" _Yah, Mama. Wuffles mine."_

"Um, sure sweetie. We just have to sign the adoption certificate the shelter gave us. See, isn't it pretty?" She gestured toward the official looking paper near Jeff, smiling at Ruffles' printed name and the way the shelter had made the special accommodation of listing Jeff's, hers, and Sophie's names on the certificate, with a space for each one of them to sign.

Jeff made eye contact with Sophie and carefully handed her the pen. "Make your mark here." He pointed toward the 'Sophie Edison' spot on the form.

Sophie nodded with a giggle and slowly scrawled a shaky 'S' on the line.

"Nice job, munchkin." He took the pen back and signed his spot and then transferred the pen to Annie so that she could complete the ritual.

She smiled as she finished signing. "There! We've adopted her!"

" _Yay!"_

Annie leaned down to kiss Sophie several times on her cheek as Sophie wriggled in response, clearly delighted.

Jeff took a moment to peruse the certificate, his eyes scanning from 'Jeff Winger' to 'Annie Edison' to 'Sophie Edison' and finally to 'Ruffles Bananas Winger-Edison.' He frowned in thought.

Annie noticed this. "Are you okay?"

He shook himself and quickly affected a neutral expression as he said, "Yeah. I just wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. We want this adoption to be official. This is _serious business_."

Annie smirked and nodded. "Does everything look okay, Daddy? You're the lawyer."

"Yes, I will say this looks mighty darn official. Welcome to the family, Ruffles." He placed the certificate to the side and reached down to scoop up the dog, placing her on his lap.

" _Yay! Wuffles id fam-ee!"_

"That's right, sweetie."

" _Wuffles Ba-na-nas Ed-son."_

Jeff cleared his throat. "Ruffles Bananas _Winger_ -Edison. You know, like daddy is Jeff _Winger_."

Sophie began to chuckle, slapping her hand on the table. If Jeff didn't know any better, he'd swear she was drunk.

He smiled slightly. "Well, it's not that funny."

" _Wuffles Ba-na-nas Win-ar Ed-son?"_

"That's right. Good job."

" _Noooo. Wuffles Ed-son. Like Fee."_

Jeff tensed for a moment, placing his hand over his mouth. Annie watched him with a gnawing pit in her stomach. She leaned over and took his hand, mouthing silently to him, "It's fine."

He nodded and looked at her, attempting to give his best reassuring grin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I approve of my new grandchild."

"Mom."

Annie could barely contain her excitement as she watched Dorie pet Ruffles, the dog immediately taking to her and nudging her head under Dorie's hand. "I knew you'd love her."

"Oh, she is just precious. Aren't you, my adorable little scruffikins?"

Jeff smiled as he bent down and placed Sophie on the floor. As she started to take off for her grandmother and her best friend, Jeff called out, "Hey munchkin, let's get Mommy and Grandma's presents ready. I need some help."

Sophie waived her hands frantically as she kept her eyes on Ruffles. _"You do it, Daddy. I wan Wuffles."_

He shook is head but didn't seem to mind so much, warmth spreading through his chest as he went back to the car.

X

X

X

Jeff had insisted on driving Annie's SUV to Denver for Mother's Day, adamant that Annie should relax and enjoy the drive. Throughout the ride, Annie was amused by Sophie's various allusions to a 'surprise,' with Jeff making numerous shushing motions. Annie eyed Sophie in the rearview mirror, observing the way she kept slapping her hands over her mouth at each of Jeff's instructions to _keep a lid on it_. And she didn't miss how Sophie kept giggling and pointing toward the back of the car.

" _Wuffles, don't tell Mama. Shhh..Wuffles."_

As they settled in at the house, they carefully introduced Ruffles to Hank, who appeared unfazed by the new addition. Ruffles sniffed the larger dog many times and engaged in some odd trotting motions in front of him, to which Hank gave the doggie version of a shrug and plopped himself down with a yawn. Dorie seemed to anticipate this, remarking on how Hank had always been pretty easy-going.

She was more concerned about the rabbits and the cats. Turns out Ruffles was more preoccupied with them as well, being a terrier and all, and did not hesitate to do a little chasing of the bunnies before Dorie put them in the garage. The cats were wise to stay out of Ruffles' way and perched themselves on various tables and shelves, much to Ruffles' frustration.

Jeff accepted his mom's hug and said, "I'm sorry you have to put Horace and Huntley away."

"So you _do_ know their names."

"Of course I do."

"Don't worry, dear. I won't tell them."

He chuckled as they stepped out of the embrace.

She looked up at him with a gleam. "I'll let them out when you go home, which by the way, I hope isn't too soon, because I miss you. And I adore this new creature. Good job on that."

"Thank Annie. She and Ian are the ones who found her."

"I know. He told me all about it."

He squinted down at her. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Who, dear?"

Jeff explained with a tone of boredom, "Ian. Since he crashed Mother's Day last year, I just assumed he'd be here."

Dorie rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be jealous of him, you know. I'm perfectly aware you're my son. And yes, you are my favorite." She gave him a patronizing pat on the shoulder.

"Mom."

She sighed. "He's with Britta. Apparently, Mother's Day is a rough time for her, so he thought he'd help her take her mind off it."

"Oh, I'm sure _he's taking her mind off of it_ , all right."

Dorie visibly tensed, which confused Jeff. Although he knew he had a tendency to run his mouth sometimes, he would have sworn such an innuendo would have been met with a chuckle from his mother. After all, for years she had been saying that 'poor Ian' needed to date.

Dorie explained calmly, "He said something about them going out to a movie with Troy and Abed. And then I think they were all going to get pizza. Isn't that nice? Troy and Abed don't have their mothers around either. Troy's Nana went to Phoenix to see her sister."

Jeff suddenly found something catch in his throat. He managed to get out, "Where's Troy's mom?"

Tilting her head to regard him skeptically, she replied, "Poor Troy never really knew his mother. She died when he was just a toddler. But I would have thought you'd know that."

He opened his mouth but no sound came out. He wondered how he could be so dense. He wondered if Annie knew.

She patted his shoulder once again, this time with an attempt at reassurance. "He does seem to be very sad about it, so my guess is he doesn't like to talk about it. He and I had a little chat over milk and cookies when he was here at Christmas."

Before Jeff could respond, Sophie came bounding up to them.

" _Daddy, I ged Mama fou-ver?"_

Catching a curious look from his mother, he moved his attention fully on Sophie and crouched down to whisper something in her ear. She nodded and grabbed his hand, hauling him off toward the front door.

X

At the sound of the front door opening, Annie looked up from her spot on the floor where she sat between Ruffles and Hank, one hand on each dog. Dorie stood over the coffee table with a plate of beverages and a bowl of potato chips for Sophie.

" _Mama, I ged dis for you!"_

Jeff grinned and shooed Sophie over to Annie. Sophie came running up to her and thrust a bouquet of tulips, daisies, and purple lilies in her face.

Annie threw her hand up to prevent the flowers from going up her nose as a squealing Sophie continued to push them into her. Ruffles began to also join in, placing her paws on Annie's knee and stretching so that she could lick her neck.

Annie managed to get out between laughs, "Oh, sweetie! I love them. Thank you!"

" _Id mama day!"_

Annie carefully pushed the flowers down, Dorie assisting her in moving them to the side as Jeff sat down in a chair opposite them. He reached over and nudged Sophie on her back.

"Now Grandma."

Sophie looked momentarily confused before Jeff prompted her by pointing to the front of her yellow overalls. She smiled and reached into the pocket, pulling out a slightly crumpled piece of pink construction paper and handing it to Dorie.

Annie, still in shock, sniffed her flowers and tried to catch Jeff's eye. But his attention was completely focused, perhaps even unnaturally so, on Sophie and his mother.

" _Dis for you, gamma."_

"Why thank you, dear. Now let me see here. Oh, it's a coupon for lunch with you! My goodness, this is just what I wanted."

" _Yay!"_

"As long as we can have your Mommy and Daddy join us, of course."

" _Und Wuffles._ "

"Well yes, that goes without saying."

" _Yay!"_

x

x

x

Annie assisted Jeff in cleaning up from their lunch, which Jeff and Sophie had prepared at Dorie's house so that Ruffles and Hank wouldn't be excluded if they went out to a restaurant. It turned out both Annie and Dorie enjoyed the assortment of Sophie's favorite foods, which she wanted to share with them.

Annie turned to Jeff at the sink and chuckled.

He raised a brow. "What?"

"She was so cute. The little sandwiches, and the mac 'n cheese, and the huge loaf of bread." Annie expanded her hands outward to exaggerate the size of the loaf.

Jeff grinned. "Don't forget the bananas."

Annie put down the dish sponge and stepped closer to him. She smiled and lifted herself up on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. He instinctively placed his hands on her lower back.

"Thank you for helping her buy the flowers."

He gulped, shifting his eyes to the side as he said, "She really wanted you to have them."

She kept her eyes on his and as he moved his back, she said, "We both know she's too little to understand what Mother's Day is. You planned all of this."

"She helped."

"I really love my flowers. Thank you."

"Sure."

With a slight hesitation, she added, "I know how difficult this is for you…"

-"Annie."

She persisted, "And I want you to know how much I appreciate it. Really, Jeff, and it's not really about the flowers, it's the fact that you would push past all of it to do something for me that you know I'd love."

"Well, don't get sappy on me."

"Too late."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The lead up to Mother's Day hadn't gone so smoothly. Annie's mother had been calling daily up to the date, at first hinting and then insisting that they all spend the day together. Annie made it clear that she'd rather celebrate with Jeff and Sophie, and with a breezy goodbye, hung up the phone.

After that, Rachel stopped calling.

Almost immediately that Sunday morning, Annie had turned on her megawatt smile, which always unnerved Jeff. Although she appeared to soften when they were at his mom's house, once they returned home that evening, she had resumed high-energy mode, dashing to the grocery store to pick up supplies for the week while he readied Sophie for bed.

After she returned from the store, she placed the food away and read Sophie a story. After tucking her in, insisted she take Ruffles out for her last walk of the night. Jeff knew better than to argue and let her do it.

He looked up from his spot on the couch and watched Annie enter the apartment, bend down, and unclip Ruffles from her leash. The dog tore over to her green ball and began nudging it toward him. He reached down and gave it a heavy push toward the dining area. As expected, Ruffles was in prompt pursuit. Annie joined him on the couch, scooting over with a coquettish look.

"Hey, handsome."

He nodded. "That I am."

She gave him a playful swat on the arm as she continued to inch over, finally throwing her leg over him so that she ended up straddling his lap. He raised his eyebrows as he watched her begin to unbutton her blouse. Perhaps against his better judgment, he reached over and held her hand still.

She frowned. "What is it?"

He sighed. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am."

"It's Mother's Day."

Narrowing her eyes, she said, "I'm pretty sure we had sex on Mother's Day last year. It's allowed."

"That's not what I meant."

In a teasing tone, she persisted as she ran her hand toward his lap, "And since when does it bother you I'm a _mother_? As I recall, you said a long time ago that wasn't a big deal."

"Annie." He held her wrist in place.

She scrunched up her face in frustration.

"It's okay that you don't want to see your mom."

She groaned. "Can we please not talk about my mother? You're killing the mood."

"It's not that I don't want to. It's that I want to make sure you're okay first."

Pursing her lips, she said, "I'm as fine as I'm going to be today. You and Sophie planned a really sweet day. I have my flowers. I'm happy, Jeff."

He smiled slightly but was aware of an undercurrent of sadness in her tone. After a moment of hesitation he ventured, "How did you used to celebrate this day with your mom?"

With a heavy sigh, she moved forward and pressed her forehead against his. "Anthony and I would make her breakfast and we'd give her cards."

"That sounds nice."

"It was. She was usually pretty happy on Mother's Day. She likes it when a day is devoted to her."

"Have you talked to him lately?"

She mumbled, "He asked me to come over, but I told him I wasn't up for it. Part of me feels bad that I skipped out, which is ridiculous, I know."

"It's not."

She sighed again, this time softly.

"Sometimes I like the idea of having a mom, you know? I wish things could be different, that we could sit down as a family, and it wouldn't be weird. And Sophie could know her bubbe and her uncle and not pick up on the fact that we've all been estranged."

"You haven't celebrated with her in what, four years? It would be really awkward, and um to top it off, now you're a mother. You get to spend the day however _you_ want to."

They were silent for some moments before Annie abruptly asked, "What if Sophie doesn't want to see me someday?"

"That will never happen."

"You can't say that. I might disappoint her, and then she'll avoid my calls and turn out just like me." She added in a pleading tone, "I don't know what I'd do if I messed up our baby."

He held her as she began to sob softly. He could feel the warm tears against his own face. He pulled her into a hug, her face now buried in his shoulder.

Ruffles did her best to comfort her too, which mainly involved jumping on the couch and licking her knee.

As much as he didn't want Ruffles on the couch, Jeff decided to let it go for the moment. He knew Annie needed the comfort, and he knew he had to do something to help her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On Tuesday, Jeff fibbed and told Annie he'd be working a little late, but would be home before Sophie's bedtime. He told himself it wasn't really a lie if he was doing it for a very good reason. Plus, he'd come clean to her soon.

He took a deep breath and knocked on Rachel's door.

 _Was this a good idea? What if Annie gets mad? No, she needs her mother, even if her mother is Rachel. It'll be okay._

He waited for almost a full minute and frowned as he stepped back and regarded Rachel's car in the driveway. Anthony's clunker wasn't there, but he found it hard to believe that Rachel would allow herself to be seen in it. He also found it difficult to fathom Rachel walking anywhere in her stilettos. He turned back to the door and knocked again. After another almost full minute, he took out his phone and sent her a text.

Within another minute, the door flung open to reveal a flustered looking Rachel, a gleam in her eye and a nervous smile plastered on her face.

"Jeff! I am so sorry; I had no idea you were out here!"

He placed his hands in his suit pockets and shrugged. "It's okay. I'm sorry to just drop by like this without warning. If it's a bad time, we can talk later."

She shook her head and motioned him into the house. He followed, and she shut the door.

"Don't be silly. You're always welcome here."

"Thanks."

As he stepped into the living room, it dawned on him that he had never been inside the house before. Unsurprisingly, the room was immaculate, with nary a speck of dust. There were two light taupe colored couches, accented with red decorative pillows and a matching throw over one of them, shiny hardwood floors, and a red accented area rug. Topping off the main pieces were two conversational chairs, which appeared to be very uncomfortable looking, yet conventionally stylish. Rachel motioned for him to sit in one of them, and she sat down opposite him.

Yes, definitely uncomfortable chairs.

As he continued to scan the room, he became aware of various small tables with framed pictures. One he immediately recognized as Annie's bubbe next to what he assumed was a photo of Annie's zayde, who he was aware passed away many years ago.

He spotted but attempted to ignore a photograph of a dark-haired woman, who by the resemblance he strongly suspected of being Annie's Aunt Sherri, next to Dr. Wellson and Adam seated on a backyard deck. From the looks of it, the picture was taken several years ago, Adam appearing to be quite younger.

There was a giant red "X" over Adam and Dr. Wellson.

 _Why the hell would she keep that up? And wait, was the red x made out of lipstick?_

He made the prudent decision to move on in his perusal of the room.

With almost more of a startle, he realized several pictures were of Sophie, one as a newborn baby, and the other three were ones at each age – one year old, two year old, and another recent picture he knew Annie had taken on Valentine's Day.

The other pictures were of Anthony looking half asleep in what he assumed was his annual school portrait, and two of Annie – one which looked to be her senior high school picture, all wide-eyed and smiley, and the other of her taken during their lunch visit a couple months ago. In that shot, Annie was looking uncomfortable, a tight smile on her face and her eyes darting to the side with hands gripping her skirt as she had sat in their dining room.

Rachel followed his gaze. "I know it might seem silly, but she's still my daughter. It makes me feel better to see her, even if she won't see me."

Jeff turned back to her with a wry smile. "It's been difficult for her."

"Is everything okay?"

He sighed and took in Rachel's seemingly worried expression. Despite what Annie told him about her narcissism, he couldn't help but feel she did care about Annie in her own way, and likely wanted what was best for her. Trouble was he wasn't confident she really knew what that was. But being a fixer, he figured he perhaps needed to provide Rachel with specific instructions, for Annie's sake.

As he was about to speak, he became aware something was off about Rachel. Her eyes were moving about nervously (he supposed maybe that made sense), she seemed flushed, and she kept attempting to smooth her hair, which was looking slightly disheveled. He frowned in confusion. But he supposed he hadn't met her that many times and perhaps she wasn't always put together when she wasn't planning on visitors.

His eyes fell to her dark red blouse, which was buttoned up unevenly. His gaze then shot back to her face, noticing a panicked look in her eyes as she realized what he had observed.

He then noted she wasn't wearing her trademark red lipstick. In fact, it seemed as if her lips were rubbed clean.

His eyes widened in realization.

"Oh! Silly me, I changed when I got home; I'm so embarrassed! I'll just go and fix this, shall I?" She stood and grabbed hold of the bottom of her blouse and made her way toward the back of the house.

Jeff stood and followed her, calling out, "I can come back another time. I just wanted to talk to you about Annie, but it can wait. I'll let myself out."

He stopped near the back hallway and was about to turn to leave when Rachel's head popped out from around the corner, a desperate look on her face.

"Please! I'll get rid of him!"

Jeff opened his mouth to respond, but found no sound came out.

She smiled tightly. "He's probably almost gone anyway. Silly me, I told him to go out the window when you texted! Can you imagine?"

He winced. "Um, you didn't have to do that."

"Well, obviously, _you_ can handle it. But I thought Anna was with you, and I couldn't bear it if she… Please stay; I'll be right back!"

She vanished and Jeff nodded to himself, biting his lip with an urge to scream or maybe laugh, he wasn't really sure. He walked slowly back into the living room and sat down, this time on the couch and picked up Sophie's recent picture, staring at it as he internally gave himself a pep talk for continuing this mission.

After a few minutes, Rachel sashayed back into the room, her hair now freshly brushed, a bright medium red lip-gloss applied, and her blouse properly re-buttoned. She hesitated for a moment as she observed where he was now seated but then appeared to take it in stride as she sat down on the other couch to face him.

"Is his gone?" Jeff gave her a knowing grin.

A blush came over her face, but to her credit, Jeff noticed she kept herself composed and gave a firm nod. "We're alone."

"Where's Anthony?"

"He's at band practice. He'll be home in about an hour." She hesitated but then added, "You'll be discreet?"

Jeff nodded and replaced the picture on the table. He leaned back and began running his hand through his hair. "It's none of my business. So, yes, of course."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"I don't think Annie would care if you have a boyfriend. She might even be happy for you."

Rachel began to smooth her skirt. "I would never subject Anthony to another male disappointment. He's sensitive."

"Oh."

She shrugged. "We aren't dating. It's more of a casual arrangement."

"Oh, um okay." Jeff felt the need to quickly disengage from this conversation.

She continued, "See, he's my neighbor so it would be terribly awkward if anyone were to find out. Especially Anthony. You understand?"

"Rachel, don't worry, I…"

-"He's not married! I'm not a home wrecker! Especially after what Paul put me through, with him and that hussy Becky. I like to stick to the ones without the baggage, but see Gregory's kind of _young_ , so I just don't want to be humiliated. People are so judgmental about someone my age letting off some steam and relaxing, it's unbelievable!"

Jeff frowned, barely even registering the nonsense after the first part. "Becky? As in Rebecca? His now…?"

Rachel tensed. She elaborated, her tone laced with venom, "Yes, as in his now _sickeningly perfect little wife_. She wanted to move to Virginia after I caught them at _our cabin_ , nonetheless. So he just up and goes with her. Both perfect little FBI agents, not spies mind you, do-gooder bureaucrat types." She waived her hand dismissively as she added, "Goodbye Anna, goodbye seven-year-old Anthony." She looked up at him and stilled. "If I do ever have the honor of seeing him again, he'll wish I took it easy on him like I did Adam Wellson."

Jeff let out a low whistle. "Yikes."

Abruptly switching gears, she asked, "Drink?"

He shook his head. "I can't stay long. I just came by to see if there's some way we could work something out."

Carefully crossing her legs and clasping her knee, she asked nonchalantly, "You mean between me and Anna?"

"She wasn't up for Mother's Day; it was too much, you understand?"

"Yes."

"But I think she might be willing to do something less pressured, maybe if Anthony was also present. Would you be okay with that?"

She nodded, looking at the floor.

"Good. Then let's talk strategy."

Instantly, she perked up and met his gaze. "I'm listening."

"First rule. You will make this about Annie. Don't bring up Paul or Adam."

"Fine."

"Second rule. Don't make Annie feel bad about anything that happened between the two of you. No mentioning how she could have gone to Yale or how disappointed you are in her for not living up to your expectations."

Rachel frowned. "I'm not disappointed in her."

"She thinks you are."

"I wanted different things for her, but that's not how things worked out. And I'm confident she can still turn things around. Especially if she goes to graduate school. Then no one will really focus on her silly undergraduate degree."

Jeff cringed. "Third. No mentioning how she can _still turn things around_. Be positive about the things that are going right. She's loving her classes and she's a terrific mother."

"Of course."

"Oh, and one more thing. You are going to remove that graffitied picture of the Wellsons. I don't care what you do with it, but Annie is not to see it."

Rachel nodded solemnly.

x

x

x

Jeff's confession to Annie was met with a steely gaze, about an hour of huffing, and finally a tentative approach.

"I know you're trying to help, but she's so much effort."

"You miss her."

"I don't know if I miss _her_. I miss Anthony."

"Maybe it would help then for us all to be together? Like I said, she suggested we come by for dinner this weekend, and Anthony will be right there. We can leave under the excuse of putting the munchkin to bed."

Annie appeared to consider this for a moment, before slowly nodding, her lip quivering.

"That might be nice."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The meal at Rachel's house on Friday was surprisingly uneventful. Anthony had been his usual surly self with Jeff but seemed to perk up when he saw Annie and Sophie. Rachel had greeted Jeff warmly, placing a kiss on his cheek and then turned to face Annie, embracing her in a stiff hug. Rachel bent down and awkwardly patted Sophie, remarking on her lovely light green dress. She had cringed ever so slightly at the sight of Sophie's clashing purple shoes, but after casting a quick look at Jeff, commented on how _darling_ they were.

Dinner itself consisted of an elaborately presented assortment of comfort foods, including a casserole with sides of mashed potatoes and pie for dessert. Rachel had even prepared a special dish for Sophie, a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of potato chips.

Annie leaned toward Anthony and whispered, "Since when does she allow us to eat grilled cheese and pie?"

Anthony smiled smugly and replied in a low voice, "I told her the best bubbes serve grilled cheese to three year olds. And the pie was because…" As if to finish his sentence, he merely shrugged.

x

Annie finished helping Sophie clean off her hands at the powder room sink.

" _I all keen now."_

"Yes, you are."

" _Dank you, mama."_

Annie's smile froze as she caught sight of her mother's reflection in the mirror. She turned and placed Sophie on the floor.

" _Hi bee bee."_

"Hi sweetie. Do you want to color? I made up the kitchen table for you."

" _Okay."_

Annie watched as her mother took Sophie's hand and led her toward the kitchen. She followed in almost morbid curiosity.

Rachel carefully lifted Sophie and placed her in a matching booster seat to the one she had in the dining room. At Annie's questioning look, she sighed and said, "She's small. I don't want her tumbling out, so I bought another one."

"Mom, just because we agreed to come over here tonight doesn't mean she's going to be spending a lot of time here."

Rachel smiled tightly as she buckled Sophie in. In a light tone she said, "I'm perfectly aware of that. But I wanted it here for tonight, and just in case you ever want to bring her over. It didn't cost a lot of money." She placed a sheet of paper in front of Sophie and handed her three crayons.

Annie watched as Sophie gleefully began to scribble away. "Dinner was nice."

"Thank you."

"But I don't want you babysitting my daughter."

Rachel, who had moved into a seat next to Sophie, looked up sharply. At Annie's stare down, she clasped her hands on the table and said evenly, "I wouldn't dream of it. Why, I don't even remember how to take care of a small child."

Annie took a deep breath and pulled up another chair to sit down. She scooted herself into place and said, "I'm surprised you'd admit that."

"Well, it's true. I don't remember what I did with you and Anthony at her age, but I do remember you used to like to draw."

"I did."

"And she does too. Look at that. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm sure it's a new Edelstein masterpiece!"

Annie found herself laughing, part out of nervousness and part out of the surrealness of watching her mother sit next to her daughter, completely clueless yet full of admiration for her grandchild.

It felt very familiar.

She smiled slightly.

Rachel mirrored her expression and said, "Anthony's a very good babysitter, you know. Maybe he could watch her sometime while you and that gorgeous boyfriend of yours go out for a nice dinner. I'll make a cameo appearance, if you prefer."

"Mom, that's not what I meant."

"No, it's fine." Shifting her gaze, she added, "I'm just glad you came over."

"Me too."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Annie felt her lip begin to quiver, and she reached to wipe her eye. She found she didn't have any words and wasn't sure how she felt in the moment.

Rachel added, "You're a very good mother to Sophie."

Annie looked up, more tears now falling freely down her face.

Rachel appeared slightly alarmed at this but then scooted her chair closer, reaching over to hand Annie a paper napkin.

As Annie began to dab her cheeks, Rachel said, "I'd like to hear about your classes. You mentioned something about majoring in forensics?"

This was the point at which Annie felt she couldn't keep herself composed and began to openingly sob.

" _Mama sad."_

"No, sweetie. I'm fine."

" _But you cying, Mama. Id okay. Here."_ Sophie pushed over a purple crayon and looked up at Annie with concern.

At that moment, Jeff popped his head in and said, "Hey any tips on what to discuss with Anthony? I've kinda hit a wall here." He then fully registered Annie's expression.

Rachel turned to give him a frantic look.

" _Mama sad."_

He looked down at Annie, who had managed to stop crying. She shook her head. "I'm fine. Please just take her into the living room."

He nodded and unbuckled Sophie, hoisting her in his arm. "Come on, munchkin, let's go see Uncle Anthony. Be my buffer. Mama and Bubbe need to talk." With that, he swiftly removed Sophie from the room.

Annie turned back to her mother. "Since when do you care about my school?"

Rachel let out a long sigh and leaned back. "I do care. I'm very glad you've continued, actually. I know that couldn't have been easy to go back."

"It wasn't, but I wanted to make something of myself, for Sophie's sake."

"Good for you. So, forensics?"

Annie proceeded carefully, her eyes locked on her mother's as she said slowly, "I know it might remind you of Daddy, which it did for me too at first which is why I resisted doing it, but Mom, I really love it."

"I bet you're good at it."

"I am."

"Then you should do it."

"Really? Even with Daddy…."

Rachel shook her head and held up her hand. "Rule one. We don't talk about your father."

"Really?" Annie regarded her skeptically.

Rachel smiled tightly. "I've learned a few things too, sweetie. We always fight if we talk about him. So let's not."

"Sounds good."

They sat in awkward silence for several moments before Rachel said, "I hope you don't mind, but I told Aunt Sherri everything. She misses you and feels just awful about the whole…. " Her eyes widening, she said, "You know what, rule number two. We don't discuss _them_."

Annie grimaced. "Where is she?"

"She moved to Geneva after that nasty business with…." She paused and took a deep breath, muttering to herself, "Rule number two," before explaining, "She'll be back this winter for a visit."

Annie nodded absentmindedly as she tapped the table with the purple crayon. Rachel gave her a sharp look and slid over a piece of construction paper. Annie squinted as she accepted the paper and placed it under the crayon. As she began tapping again, she started to laugh.

Rachel arched a brow.

Annie smiled, "Did you know we got Sophie a dog? She's the sweetest little terrier, and they are so cute together."

"A dog? My, they _shed_."

"I know. Remember how you never let us have a pet?"

"Oh, you were always asking, sweetie, but just because your child asks for something doesn't mean you have to indulge them."

"I _want_ to indulge Sophie. I want to give her everything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They celebrated their 2nd dating /one year living together anniversary the following evening. At Annie's insistence, they stayed in and had a quiet evening with Sophie and Ruffles.

Annie smiled to Jeff as she set down a plate of pancakes in the middle of the table. He cocked his head and let out a low whistle.

"Breakfast for dinner?"

She nodded and watched as Sophie's face lit up in amazement.

" _Mama make pan-cake! Yum yum."_ She began to wave her hands in giddy anticipation.

"That's right, sweetie. We get to have pancakes for breakfast. We all do. Because we Edison-Wingers know how to celebrate."

"Edison-Wingers?"

She smiled coyly at him as she sat down. "It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

His eyes widening for a brief moment, he replied, "Yeah, it does."

"Ruff!"

Annie glanced down at a large-eyed and squirming Ruffles, who was attempting to place her tiny paws on Annie's knee while sniffing the aroma of the pancakes. Annie reached down and gently assisted the dog in placing her paws on the ground.

"Ruffles may be the only _official_ Edison-Winger, but we're a family." She glanced up at Jeff with slightly teary eyes.

"We sure are."

" _Pan-cake, pease?"_

They laughed as Annie reached over to carefully place a perfectly round pancake on Sophie's plate.

"And we're getting you plenty of syrup."

"Annie."

She knew it was reflex and he didn't mean it.

Sitting up straighter and with confidence, she said, "We all get to indulge today. It's our anniversary."

" _Yah, Daddy. I need sy-up."_

Annie leaned down and placed a kiss on Sophie's cheek. "You get anything you want today, sweetie. Anything at all. Thank you for making me a mommy."

Sophie nodded and anxiously motioned for the syrup bottle.


	3. Improvisational Dialogue

**Chapter 3: Improvisational Dialogue**

Summary: Jeff participates in a few educational conversations

A/N: Apologies for the delay. The excitement of Community Appreciation Week 2017 was a bit much for me; plus you've all been undoubtedly overloaded with so many WONDERFUL NEW COMMUNITY FICS (!) on AO3 and on tumblr. I thought this could wait. ;)

xxxxx

" _Und dat WHY, Daddy."_

Jeff willed his eyes to open, still in the haze of sleep.

" _Pease?"_

His lids finally lifted and he was met with the faint blob of Sophie. He struggled to adjust to the darkness of their bedroom, but became rapidly aware that she was standing next the bed, her face about an inch from his.

He figured she meant business, as she was wearing her glasses.

He was vaguely aware of Annie turning over next to him, groaning slightly and then likely trusting him to handle the situation before falling back to sleep.

"What is it, munchkin? I was sleeping."

" _Daddy!"_

She smacked him lightly on the cheek. This would have perturbed him in daylight, but for now he couldn't really be upset with her; he was too damn tired to think about it. All he knew was he needed to figure out what was the matter so he could get her back to bed. He reached out and lightly took her little hand.

"What's wrong? I'll help."

His eyes now able to make out her face, he could see she was giving him one of her most grumpy expressions. Again, it was not the time for him to find humor in this thing either.

He forced himself to sit up and then swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He glanced at the bedside clock, noticed it was the charming time of three am and regarded her with a sigh.

She began to yank on his hand.

" _We go Wuffles. Wuffles need me."_

"Huh? What's wrong with Ruffles?"

It was then he heard the whimpering coming from the living room.

"Oh hell."

x

After attempting to attend to Ruffles needs, he was frustrated. He had plopped Sophie back in her bed, taken Ruffles outside in a fruitless endeavor, and then inspected her paws other parts to see if she was injured. Nothing.

The whining had stopped by now, and Jeff was pretty sure Ruffles was just lonely.

It didn't help that Sophie kept leaving her room and coming over to _help_ him. Each time he tried to shoo her away, she remarked, _"Wuffles need me. Wuffles seep in my woom, okay?"_ and motioned for Ruffles to follow her.

Ruffles appeared eager to do so, wagging her tail while excitedly panting.

It was then that Jeff looked down and became fully aware that Count Frogula, Hillary Rodham Kitten, and Ruthie were placed near the crate door.

"Munchkin, did you come over here and _talk_ to Ruffles before you woke Daddy up?"

" _Yah. I miss Wuffles. I come und say hi. Und Wuffles cying."_

He closed his eyes and nodded sleepily. He may have found the whole thing partially adorable if he weren't so goddamned hazy.

Eventually he was able to return them both to their respective beds. As he left Sophie's room, she called out, _"Und Wuffles seep wid me, okay?"_

"I told you, no." He gave her a stern look, and while he was fairly certain she couldn't see him since they had removed her glasses, he felt the expression gave him confidence.

And resolve.

" _Not tonight, okay? Tomowwow."_

"No, Ruffles is sleeping in her crate. She sleeps there and you sleep here. She's fine. You are not to bother her when she's in her crate. It's her quiet place where she feels safe. Do you understand?"

" _Okay, Daddy. Nite nite."_

"Nite Nite."

" _Und nite nite, Wuffles. Wuffles seep wid me tomowwow."_

"No. That's final."

" _I seep wid you und Mama UND Wuffles?"_

"No. It's nighttime. Nite nite."

" _Okay."_

He was fairly proud of himself that he didn't cave until five thirty, when Sophie used all of her charms to convince him to let her into their bed. As he picked her up and settled her in, he made a sleepy mental note to talk to his mom about what age kids could be before dogs were allowed to sleep in their room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The summer didn't really start until the annual parade of outdoor get togethers was underway, beginning with Ben Bennett's first birthday party. Although old Jeff would have shuddered at the idea of spending a day in the sun with a bunch of kids and baby presents, new Jeff had actually been looking forward to it, as he knew Sophie would have a blast with the older Bennett boys.

Ruffles, alas, was asked to stay home.

As Annie chased Sophie to toward the snack table, Jeff nudged Andre and pointed to the cooler of beers. Andre grinned and reached over, handing him one. Jeff popped off the top, and they clinked their bottles together before taking a ceremonial first sip.

"Ahh. To summer."

"To my son. It's his first birthday."

At Andre's glare, Jeff cringed. "Sorry, hey, you know what I mean."

With a laugh, Andre punched him in the shoulder. "I'm just messing with you, man. Shirley and I were really glad you guys could make it, especially being the only other parents in the study group."

"We wouldn't miss it."

They stood in silence, once in awhile nodding as they kept their eyes on the lawn, watching Elijah and Jordan toss potato chips on top of Pierce, who had fallen asleep on a tree-shaded lawn chair.

Jeff gestured toward them. "Aren't they too old to…?"

"Nah. That guy's a prick."

With the hint of a smile, Jeff resumed sipping his beer.

At that moment Shirley came up between them, Ben in her arms. "Excuuuse meee." She reached over to grab a bunch of paper napkins. "Hi Jef-frey, we are soo hap-py you and An-nie and So-phie could make it."

"Hi Shirley." He pulled her into a side hug. Looking down, he smiled at the ridiculously cute and slightly pudgy baby. He realized it had been a couple months since he had seen him and there was even more definition and dare he say a sense of discernment in the baby's eyes. He almost expected the kid to say a judgy _um hmmm_.

"Hey, Ben. Happy Birthday."

Shirley smiled broadly at him but her expression quickly changed to a frown. "I have to go take care of a little messy-messy."

Andre cast her an almost panicked look. "Diaper?"

"No. Something sticky."

Andre relaxed slightly but then furrowed his brow. "Which one of them did it?"

"Troy."

"Ahh."

She threw Ben into Andre's flustered arms and took off with a sense of righteousness toward the back of the house.

Jeff assisted Andre in handling his beer bottle as he adjusted the squirming kid in his arms. Andre cocked his head and motioned for Jeff to follow him toward some chairs on the deck.

As they sat down, Andre leaned over and placed Ben's feet on the ground. "There you go, my little man. Just hold on here and stand."

"Is he walking?"

"A few steps, but he's wobbly. He mostly has to hold on to something."

"He's huge. When was the last time we got together?"

Andre looked up with a frown. "Too long. Man, with Shirley's business and everything, I've been going a little crazy at home. We have Jordan and Elijah enrolled in day camp through our church, but I don't want to hang out with the church moms. It's weird, you know?"

"No church dads?"

Andre chuckled. "Oh that's a good one. Nope. I am the sole stay at home daddy."

"That sucks."

He shrugged. "At least I have the stereo store part time, but it's been kind of slow. Hence the _part-time_."

"Still?"

"Yeah."

Jeff regarded Andre's resigned expression and remembered Britta's words. Although he couldn't stomach giving her credit, he knew she was probably right. And wasn't Annie always encouraging him to make new friends? Ever since he realized friends didn't have to be like Alan Connor, he had remained more open to the idea.

He cleared his throat. "Sophie and I go to this playground on Jefferson some days. My friend Thanos is also home part time and has a kid. You guys could join us, err, if you want."

Andre visibly startled and turned to Jeff. "Really?"

Jeff shrugged. "Yeah, of course."

Andre's mouth opened slightly for moment before closing. Staring down at Ben with a small smile, he replied, "Thanks. I think we will."

Jeff felt a little guilty. He supposed he should have reached out before now, but part of him was still more than skeptical of Andre's renewed commitment to Shirley. After all, there had been the stripper.

And as Britta was fond of saying, men were pigs.

He glanced down at baby Ben, who was smiling at him while managing to emit a long stream of drool. He exaggerated a shocked expression to which Ben giggled.

He figured Sophie must have daddy-dar, for she promptly charged over to them, Annie shirking helplessly while following.

"Hey, munchkin."

Sophie buried her face in his knees. She then turned and gave baby Ben a suspicious glare.

Jeff exchanged bemused looks with Andre and then leaned down near her ear. "Do you remember Ben? Can you say hi?"

" _Hi."_

Ben smiled and reached toward her, in the process letting go of Andre and plopping into a sitting position on the ground. Undeterred, he climbed onto his knees and crawled over to her. Once he reached her, he began to smack her purple overalls.

Sophie appeared charmed by this and tilted her head.

" _You a nice baby."_

Andre chuckled. "He can't talk, Sophie, so you'll just have to talk for him."

Sophie placed her hands on her hips and nodded. _"Yah. He can't talk. Cause he baby."_ She looked up at Jeff and Andre and said in all seriousness, _"He my baby."_

Jeff appeared to ponder this for a moment and began to stroke his stubble. "You'll have to ask Andre and Shirley if you can take him home."

By this point, Annie had quietly sat down on the grass behind the kids. She rolled her eyes at Jeff, to which he gave her a mischievous grin. "Sophie, sweetie, you can't take him home, but you can play with him here."

Appearing mildly perturbed by this news, Sophie grunted. She then seemed to rapidly recover and nodded.

" _Okay, baby. You come wid me. We go pay wid Li-ja und Jo-dan."_

She bent down and proceeded to try to pick Ben up.

Annie quickly intervened and grabbed Ben and took Sophie's hand. She grinned at Jeff, who was in the middle of a silent chuckling fit as he sipped his beer and leaned back in the lawn chair.

She hoisted Ben to her hip. "Well, I guess we won't have to worry too much about her getting along with Nancy's baby. I was a little concerned she'd be jealous."

Jeff remarked dryly, "She's come a long way. Maybe sharing with Ruffles has been beneficial."

" _I miss Wuffles. I take baby und go Wuffles?"_

Annie shook her head. "Let's go find Elijah and Jordon." She held onto Sophie's hand, casting Jeff a satisfied smile before they walked back toward the lawn.

Andre and Jeff sat for awhile, both sipping their beers and ignoring Shirley's stomps back and forth, as she continued to say various _um hmmmms_ and _that boy is crazy with his glue_. Andre explained to Jeff several times he tried not to concern himself with such things, figuring Shirley would just steamroll over him if he tried to get involved.

Jeff smirked at this. "Whatever you say. I notice this then leads you to plenty of time to rest in the shade."

Andre shrugged. "Hey, I'm busy with the kids plenty of other times, and I do my fair share of housework. But you know, Shirley is Shirley. She's great, but you do _not_ mess with her."

Jeff let out a quick low laugh. "So you guys are still good then, now that you're remarried?"

Andre sighed and leaned back in his chair, placing his beer on the side table. "Yeah. It's been really great, actually. I love that damn woman so much."

Jeff watched as Shirley found Troy hiding behind a tree and proceeded to stare at him until he visibly crumpled into a heap on the ground. Abed then rushed over and felt his pulse while Shirley rolled her eyes.

"Shirley is special."

"I was an idiot to have screwed it all up the first time."

"Indeed you were."

Andre shifted his eyes over to Jeff. He hesitated for a moment.

"I never thanked you for what you said to me on my wedding day."

Jeff scrunched up his face and turned away to watch the Trobed shenanigans. Shirley did not seem pleased at all.

"It was nothing."

Andre shook his head. "No, it was good advice. I was feeling threatened by her business, and while I still hate that wackjob Pierce, I've come to realize it's good for Shirley to own something she believes in. And it's good for our family."

With that, they clinked bottles once again and settled back into what Jeff was assumed was comfortable silence. He looked up at the sky and felt the sun on his face.

Andre grinned slyly. "So when are you and Annie gonna make it official?"

Jeff visibly tensed.

Andre reached out and smacked him on the knee. "Sorry man, look, it was just a silly question. Pay me no mind."

Jeff sat back up in his chair. "Nah. It's okay." As he began to pick at the label on his bottle, he mumbled, "I've just been thinking about it a lot lately."

Andre arched a brow and waited for him to elaborate.

Jeff groaned. "Look, this stays between us."

"Of course, man."

"I've had a ring for a while."

"While?"

"Since last fall."

"What in hell has taken you so long?"

Jeff shrugged. "I was being kind of stupid. She and Sophie had moved in, and it just seemed like the next logical step."

Andre looked at him dumbfounded. "It kinda is."

Jeff closed his eyes at the memory, recalling how scared he had been about them potentially losing Sophie, even if it were only on weekends. He didn't even believe in marriage as a concept, as in it would guarantee they would stay together forever; his experience with his own family and countless clients throughout the years had taught him that. But last fall, he had been almost in a state of _panic_ , which since then he came to realize did not make for the best decisions.

And yet, the idea of being Sophie's official father had not lost its appeal.

He opened his eyes and cleared this throat. "It wasn't the right time before. She would have turned me down."

"How do you know?"

"I just do." Attempting to shut out his past fears of Annie tearfully rebuffing him, which were confirmed by the eerily knowing Evil Abed, he quickly added, "Plus I got the wrong ring. She told me she hates diamonds. So you know, I have to get her something else."

Andre let out a low whistle. "Okay, dude. You two have been talking about gemstones? Stop this head spinning and just ask her. She'll say yes."

At the pained expression on Jeff's face, he patted him lightly on the shoulder and added, "She will."

Jeff took a deep breath and then said in a low voice, "I don't think I was thinking about what _she wanted_. In all honesty, I was probably doing it more out of panic, at wanting to protect Sophie. We get married, I adopt Sophie. That's what _I wanted_. Which I know isn't the worst thing in the world, but Annie wouldn't have thought I'd really wanted _her_."

Andre rolled his eyes. "That's nonsense. You're waaaay overhtinking this whole thing. Did anyone ever tell you you're a ball of anxiety?"

Jeff winced. Although he was feeling slightly more comfortable with Andre these days, he didn't want to key him into his GAD. But was that really what this was? No, he was convinced he had valid reasons for his caution with a proposal. Although he was ninety-nine percent certain she would say yes, there was that nagging imp on his shoulder, and it kept saying _what if you do it wrong and she leaves you?_

Annie and Sophie were everything to him. He couldn't risk a colossal mistake.

He nodded absentmindedly for a few moments, his eyes on the lawn where Sophie was squealing with delight at Ben's crawling.

Andre followed his gaze. "You know, I would have adopted Ben if he had turned out to be Chang's."

Jeff smiled sadly as he continued to watch Sophie. "I didn't make her, but I proudly maintain her."

"I think you should just talk to Annie and feel her out on it."

"Maybe."

"At least ask her to marry you already. Screw the ring."

Jeff pondered this for a while as they sat in silence.

Finally, he said in a low voice, "I think I should consult Big Cheddar about this."

Andre squinted at him. "Ooookay. He sounds fierce."

"She is."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff shuddered slightly as he stepped onto campus that Wednesday. He didn't relish the idea of being back, as he had made the decision to avoid summer classes. Not that he really had much of an option, as taking care of Sophie and doing consulting work took up too much time; he had come to the painful acceptance that he wasn't going to be graduating early like he originally planned. Even taking online classes was too much and left him feeling like a zombie.

And zombie Jeff wasn't so adept at making love to Annie Edison, so alas he had to let something go.

He had mentioned to Annie he might swing by campus to chat with Ian and Shirley. Annie had seemed surprised at this, but she had also been in the middle of attempting to dislodge Sophie from a spot between the couch cushions, so she didn't have the attention span to really question it. He had picked his time well.

Ian nearly crashed into him in front of the main kiosk.

"Oi! Winger! What brings you to our humble academic abode?"

Jeff smiled tightly. Although he told Annie he'd be visiting Ian, he did that more as a cover story so that she wouldn't be too suspicious about him merely going to see Shirley. He really didn't have the patience to put up with Ian right now, as he was eager to get on to more pressing matters.

He affected a nonchalant air, placing his hands in his suit pockets and glancing around at the trees. "Oh, you know, just visiting. I told Shirley I'd come by and check out her sandwich shop."

Ian regarded him curiously.

Jeff's turned to him, eyes widened. "What?"

"You're up to something."

"She wanted to talk to me about something."

"Oh, trouble in Bennett land? That's a shame."

"I don't think it's anything too serious. But hey, we could grab a beer next week."

At this, Ian smiled broadly. "Well, I'd never pass up a chance for us to chat. I'd be delighted."

"Great. Now, if you excuse me…" Jeff began to lightly push on his shoulder as he attempted to move past him.

Seemingly oblivious to Jeff's maneuvers, Ian explained, "But we can't go to a pub. I'm on the wagon."

He stopped and looked at him. "Again?"

Ian nodded with a pout. "Yes, Jeffrey. And I'd be most appreciative if you could support my sobriety. I have reasons. Sexual reasons."

Jeff winced at this. "Yeah, of course. So what do you want to do instead?"

"Smoothies? They make a great strawberry kiwi blend over at Charlie's."

"Um, oookay." He then began glancing past Ian once again, figuring he could probably get over to the cafeteria in about two minutes if he left now.

Undeterred by Jeff's lack of eye contact, Ian added, "And I wanted to tell you my good news anyway. I have tickets for Dave."

Continuing to stare off at the western diagonal pedestrian path, Jeff asked absentmindedly, "Dave?"

"Dave."

Ian stared at him intently as Jeff's attention snapped back. He waited a minute.

"Oh, _Dave_."

Ian nodded excitedly.

With almost a whisper, Jeff asked, "When?"

Clasping his hands together, Ian exclaimed, "Late June! He'll be at the Greendale Amphitheatre! I'd like you to be my honored guest!"

Jeff, still in a state of shock, replied, "Yeah, sure." He then frowned, and perhaps against his better judgment, remarked, "I would think you'd ask Britta though."

Ian waived a hand in the air and affected a tight smile. "Alas, Britta doesn't seem to appreciate the finer points of Dave."

Jeff let out an inward sigh of relief at being secured one of the tickets.

\- "Frankly, it's been a sticking point in our relationship. I'm not sure if it's going to work out."

Jeff arched a brow. "Are you serious? Over Dave?"

"Jeffrey, if there is any deal breaker with me, it would be this. You know I don't have much else to hold onto. But we are talking about _Dave_." He peered at him over his glasses, which always unnerved Jeff a little.

He sighed and pushed his hands down further in his pockets. "You're not going to do better than Britta, whatever your little _whatever_ is."

Ian tilted his head and appeared to ponder this for a moment.

"She is pretty damn amazing. Admittedly, it would be ridiculous of me to end things over this difference of opinion."

Jeff nodded and began to once again plot his escape.

Ian droned on, "Alas me suggesting it is perhaps mere deflection, an attempt to feel I have some control over the situation."

"Look, we can talk about this later. I have to go meet Shirley." He lifted both hands in an effort to stop him from continuing.

Ian reached over and took Jeff's arm. He said in a pleading tone, "I couldn't take it if she left me. I've been trying to find activities for us to enjoy. The crabs can only bring us so close together."

Jeff placed his hands back in his pockets and stared up at the sky.

Ian continued, "And we play with her cats as long as Abed isn't around because that boy dislikesme still. I volunteer with her at the shelter, and she was so helpful when I was fostering Madeline."

Jeff squinted at him in irritation. "Ruffles."

Appearing to snap into another mode, Ian asked, "Yes, how is she doing?"

"She's good. You could come by and visit her, you know, if you want."

"I'd like that."

"Okay, so I have to go meet Shirley." Jeff took one step to his right.

"Britta and I are planning a bike ride near Chester Fields. But I fear she may mock my cycling gear."

"Ian, look, I can't…"

-"She already mocked my shoes on our last ride, but that was a very short distance and you see I didn't wear the proper gear, which if I'm being faithful to the sport, I must do this time. It's the only way with a long-distance ride."

Taking a deep breath in intense frustration, Jeff asked, "Are you serious? You're worried about her making fun of your cycling outfit?"

"She tends to have a witty remark for most things. Which admittedly is part of her charm, but alas when it is directed towards yours truly it may leave one feeling a wee bit vulnerable."

Jeff let out a long sigh. He turned to fully face Ian and made an effort at maintaining eye contact. In a firm tone, he said, "Britta's gonna have a wisecrack about anything. But you and I both know if she didn't want to spend time with you, she wouldn't."

At Ian's growing brown eyes, Jeff added, "And she has a big heart, so you know, you've probably endeared yourself to her with Ruffles and the cats and the crabs. I'm sure she won't break up with you over _clothing_."

Ian sniffed. "That is very reassuring and sweet of you, Jeffrey."

"Especially since she already tolerates this." Jeff made a sweeping motion with his hand to indicate Ian's bowtie and sweater vest.

Completely missing the sarcasm, Ian grinned. "You're so very right! Anyway, I must dash. Meet you for smoothies and I cannot wait for Dave!"

Ian patted Jeff on the shoulder, made a gesture of holding an invisible phone near his face and mouthed _call me_ before cheerily almost-skipping off toward the administration building.

Jeff gave a sigh of relief and turned toward west campus.

X

X

X

As he entered the cafeteria, he almost bumped into Professor Hickey, who was muttering something under his breath as he carried a tray toward the door.

Hickey barked, "Hey, watch where you're going!"

Jeff could have sworn he was startled as he looked up but then quickly masked it with a grunt.

Annie always spoke about Professor Hickey in glowing terms, but he really did not understand it. The guy seemed to have a constant heavy chip on his shoulder. Ever since he met him, he had been doing his research in asking around about the guy. After talking with Neil, Vicky, Quendra, and Garrett, he had an impression that Professor Hickey was tough as nails and more than a little scary. Rumors were he had a background in police detective work and left the force in a huff after not being able to capture a serial killer. He also tended to make numerous and vague illusions to having a military background in torture.

Talking to Magnitude hadn't given him much insight other than Hickey may have threatened to _pop_ some students. Or didn't. It was difficult to tell.

With as much courage as he could muster, he flashed his Winger smile. "Hey, Professor Hickey. I'm sorry."

Hickey took a deep breath and emitted another grunt. "That's fine." He then glanced around. "Is Miss Edison with you?"

"No, she's home with our daughter today. I'm just here to see my friend Shirley. She runs the sandwich shop."

"Ah yes, Mrs. Bennett. These are pretty good." He cocked his head toward the BLT on his tray.

Relieved they were finally on decent speaking terms, Jeff added, "She's pretty proud of starting the business."

"She should be." Hickey's face remained stoned cold.

Jeff gave a nod and started to think of a way to extricate him from this awkward conversation, but then Hickey turned and grumbled something about going back to his office.

As Jeff was about to make his way over to Shirley's Sandwiches, Hickey abruptly turned back around. Jeff gave him a questioning look.

Hickey appeared to take a moment to collect himself. He then inhaled deeply before saying, "You refer to her as your daughter."

"Yes, I do."

"You're um, a decent guy."

Jeff's eyes widened as he took in the fact that Hickey seemed to be doing his constipated best to compliment him.

"Thanks. I try."

"You were raised right."

As Jeff opened his mouth to speak, Hickey pursed his lips and turned abruptly to go back to his office.

Jeff watched him go, wondering what the hell was going on.

X

X

X

"Big Cheddar, we meet again."

"Why, hel-lo there, Tinkletown!"

Jeff quickly glanced around to make sure no one was within listening distance before turning back to a gleeful Shirley.

He smirked. "Hey, calm down there. We're just doing coffee."

Pavel's head shot up from underneath the counter. "What is the Tinkletown?"

Shirley and Jeff exchanged furious and horrified glances, respectively.

Jeff frowned and lowered his voice, staring at Pavel with an intensity that made Pavel squirm just a little.

"You must have misheard."

Shirley turned toward Pavel lowered her voice while giving him a fierce stare. "Jef-frey and I are going to sit right over there." She motioned toward the far end of the cafeteria. Pavel nodded he understood.

They grabbed their coffees and settled into a booth. Shirley gripped her cup with both hands and grinned at him.

He rolled his eyes and leaned back.

"This is nice!" She giggled.

He let out a long sigh. "Yeah. Thanks for agreeing to meet me."

"Of course, Jef-frey! I'm always up for getting cof-fee." She cleared her throat and dropped her voice a little as she continued, "Why, I thought after we settled our differences and developed a joshing repertoire about our childhood _incident_ that we could be better friends."

He felt a pang of guilt at this knowing, despite her attempts a moment ago at cheerily calling him by her teasing nickname, she still harbored shame about her bullying of him as a kid. He sat up straighter and reached over to give her a reassuring pat on the hand. His eyes met hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't reach out sooner. I guess I wasn't so sure about you and Andre getting back together. I didn't understand why you gave him a second chance, and I was convinced he was going to hurt you again. So I kept my distance."

She looked down and nodded. He thought he heard a sniffle.

She then looked up at him with sad eyes. "I know he wasn't completely on board with my business. He told me you had a chat with him right before the wedding and set him straight."

"He did?"

"Yes. And I'll be so ever grateful that you said such sweet things. Thank you."

Jeff nodded and gave her another reassuring pat.

"I'd like us to be closer."

Her eyes widening in disbelief, she gripped his hand and didn't let him rescind it. As a tear flowed down her cheek, she said, "I would like nothing more."

He smiled tightly as he attempted to take back his hand. "Shirley, please let me go."

Appearing to come out of her haze, she looked down in alarm and released him. She then took a moment to regard him thoughtfully and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

He bit his lower lip and looked down at his coffee. "I need your help."

"Go on."

He glanced up with caution. "First, I need you to promise what we are about to discuss stays confidential, between you and me."

"Now, Jef-frey, I'm a married woman. I can't keep secrets from my husband. Or the lord."

He lowered his voice. "Of course you can tell Andre. And the lord already knows. But not anyone else, understand?"

She nodded.

He took a deep breath. "Would you pretty please help me find a decent engagement ring for Annie?"

There was a loud and long squeal before Jeff reached over and practically grabbed her into a headlock to stop her from calling too much attention.

X

After Shirley calmed down, they got down to business in discussing rings. Jeff discovered Shirley had strong opinions on jewelry. He kept steering the conversation back to Annie, and once he had convinced Shirley Annie disliked diamonds, she was more open to discussing various gemstone options and even offered to accompany him to the jewelers.

He scribbled down some notes as she talked giddily about metals and settings, clearly in her element.

With a gleam in her eye she added, "And really that's the stone I think would be _perfect_ for her."

"Thanks, Shirley. This is really helpful."

She preened a little at this compliment. "I'm honored you asked me to help you. And not to worry, it stays between us. But I do hope this whole thing isn't a secret for too long. After all, everyone and the lord," she glanced upward before continuing, "is anxious for the two of you to be bonded in holy matrimony, just like me and Andre."

Jeff sighed as he leaned back in the booth. "I'm not going to do it just yet. I have something else I need to figure out beforehand, and it has to be handled delicately. I don't want to upset her."

She frowned. "What are you getting at?"

He grit his teeth as he found himself becoming slightly light headed. He gripped the table and looked down.

"Jeffrey?"

He hesitated but then decided to forge ahead. "This is part of the reason I'm talking with _you_. You're a mother. How would you really have felt if Andre had adopted Ben?"

She clapped her hands together and did a little bounce in her seat. "Oh, Jef-frey! You should!"

"But the ex-scumbag." He looked down and then back up at her helplessly.

Shirley stared at him for a few moments, her eyes suddenly becoming sad. "Oh."

"See? Not so simple."

"It could be."

"Evil Abed said she'd refuse."

Furrowing her brow and shrugging off his last comment, Shirley took a long sip of her coffee. She then met his gaze.

"I'm sure she'd at least consider it."

"Annie never gives up. And I'm not sure if she could handle it if _he_ did."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff closed the door and kicked off his work shoes. Although he had been deep in thought the whole way home about his conversation with Shirley, he was glad to be back at the apartment. Various thoughts flashed in his mind, including their concluding remarks:

" _Jef-frey, just introduce it and don't put any pressure on her."_

" _And keep it separate from the proposal."_

" _That's right. But as much as I want to see you two in wedded bliss, I'd suggest you talk to her about this business with Adam before all that."_

" _You're right. Thanks."_

He snapped his attention back to the present moment as Ruffles came scuffling up to him.

"Ruff!"

Jeff crouched down and greeted the dog, who was wiggling her tail and sniffing his pants. He took a moment to inhale the general dogginess about her near her ears. As he continued to scratch her under the chin, he once again became aware of his heart expanding.

He felt almost giddy when he heard the little footsteps. He looked up and spied Sophie peeking her head around the corner.

"Why hello there, my dear sneaky hobbit. I'm home."

She opened her mouth in the kind of over-smile that only a small child is capable of and then proceeded to smack her cheek with her hand. Jeff assumed it was some way she was trying to control her excitement. He promptly disengaged from Ruffles and plopped down on all fours.

She gasped, _"Oh no, Daddy!"_

"I'm coming to get you!"

" _Ahhh!"_

It was a few minutes later before he could fully explain to Annie as she eyed the scuffed knees in his suit pants in disbelief, "She needed to be chased."

"I see." Annie continued to stare down at the knees as she suppressed a smile. "That's one of your good suits."

"Yeah, I know. I just won't wear it in court." He began to remove his tie while he gave Sophie an exaggerated look of suspicion as she peeked over a couch cushion and then promptly jumped back down with a squeal.

Annie shook her head and laughed while she made her way toward the kitchen. She reached over and grabbed the calendar off the fridge and flipped it open to the following month. She bit her lip as she regarded it for a moment and then looked back up.

"I didn't want to bring this up now, but I talked to Adam today, and he'd like to visit the weekend of the tenth. Is that okay?"

Jeff tensed as he glanced over at the giggling heap of pillows on the couch and then turned back to Annie. "When's Father's Day?"

"The following weekend."

He affected a nonchalant tone, "Yeah, then sure."

Annie observed his body language and then sighed. "Jeff, I told you I wasn't going to let him visit on Father's Day after what happened last year, and I meant it."

He gave her a reassuring smile and then tossed his tie and jacket on the chair so that he could engage in the proper hunt for hobbits. He decided it was best to address some things later. He wasn't really up to it right now.

He stopped himself before he could crouch down on the floor and briefly reflected on his various conversations over the past few days. Clearly he had been feeling the need to talk about his confusion and while he had shared some bits with Andre, he didn't trust the guy fully to be completely open. Andre didn't really know how his mind worked anyway and would likely give falsely reassuring advice. And Shirley was still almost glaringly oblivious to the notion that a marriage proposal didn't necessarily fix everything.

He felt a pang of guilt as he recalled his annoyance and almost desperate need to shake off Ian earlier. Ian, the person at Greendale who had known him the longest, the person who was fully aware of the GAD and his relationship history. The Bennetts, while well meaning, had no real clue about his romantic past.

But Ian Duncan certainly did. And he was more than eager to delve into a conversation about it at any moment.

Feeling like an ass, Jeff picked up his phone.

Hobbit hunting would have to wait for a minute.


	4. Crisis Alert

**Chapter 4: Crisis Alert**

Summary: Jeff deals with some unexpected events

A/N: Make sure to reach the previous chapter before this one. FF was acting up last week and didn't send out update notifications.

A bit of angst. I'm sorry.

X

" _Wuffles all better?"_

Jeff sighed as he killed the Lexus ignition. He turned toward the backseat and regarded a worried looking Sophie, who was clutching her bear.

"She'll be better soon, munchkin. That's why we're taking her to the vet."

Sophie nodded and pointed at the doggie carrier.

" _Why she in der?"_

"Because we don't want her to puke all over the car."

" _What puke?"_

"Throw up."

" _Oh. I thwow up."_

"Not today, you don't. Come on, let's get Ruffles in to see the doggy doctor."

X

X

X

After the veterinarian exam, it was determined with the utmost medical accuracy that Ruffles likely ate something _yucky_ but was otherwise fine. The veterinarian, who was a soothing older woman, then carefully asked Sophie if she had given Ruffles any special _treats_.

Jeff did his best to keep his cool when Sophie answered with a grin, _"Yah. I gib her my candy ba."_

"You gave Ruffles a candy bar?"

" _Yah."_

Jeff groaned and then hunched down so that he was eye level with her. "Where did you get a candy bar?"

" _Gampa Peas say I a pincess und need candy."_

Jeff pursed his lips and turned toward Dr. Parsons, who merely gave him a tight smile and a quick pat on the arm. She addressed Sophie, "Well, that's very nice of your grandpa to give you a candy bar…"

-"He's not her grandpa."

"But did you know that doggies can't have chocolate? Candy bars are made of chocolate, so candy bars make doggies _very sick_. It makes doggies throw up."

" _Oh no. I bad?"_

Jeff exchanged looks with Dr. Parsons and then pulled Sophie into his arms. With a sniff at her little ringlets, he said, "You are not _bad_. It's okay; you didn't know. And Ruffles will be okay. But just remember from now on, we don't give candy to Ruffles."

" _Okay, Daddy."_

He placed a kiss on her head and then stood, hoisting her to his side. As he was turning back to Dr. Parsons, Sophie added, _"Und Gampa Peas IS my gampa. He Gampa Peas!"_

Jeff grimaced. "Yeah, okay, I know. I'm sorry, I got that wrong."

" _Yah, Daddy. But id okay. You NOT bad."_

He smirked at her and made a growling noise near her ear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie sat down on the couch and picked up her crocheting materials, which included light green yarn for Nancy's upcoming baby. She began to work, humming to herself while glancing up now and again to watch Sophie push a plastic spoon into her bear's mouth.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?"

" _I a vet, Mama. I hep bear ged all better. Bear thwow up."_

Annie stifled a giggle as she caught Jeff's eyebrow raise from his spot at the dining table where he was working on his laptop.

"That's wonderful, sweetie. I'm glad you're such a good vet and taking care of Bear. I'm sure he really appreciates it."

" _Yah. Daddy gibbed bear a candy ba."_

Annie did her best not to burst into laughter when she heard Jeff exaggerate a groan from the dining area.

"I'm sorry we have yet another medical crisis. But let the record show Daddy does not have any candy. Daddy does not eat candy. Because Daddy wants Mommy to continue to admire his abs. "

Annie snorted.

" _Okay, Daddy not gibbed bear candy. Id was me. Id was Fee."_

"And that's why you're not going to do it again, right sweetie?"

" _No, Mama. Nooooo candy."_

"That's right."

Jeff turned to Annie and mouthed silently, "We need to have a talk about Pierce."

Annie placed her crocheting materials down, rose, and went over to sit next to him. Casting a quick look over at Sophie, who was in earnest conversation with her bear, Annie said in an almost whisper, "I'll talk to him about not giving her candy."

Continuing to type away, Jeff said in a low voice, "I still can't believe he refers to himself as her grandpa. It's a little presumptuous, don't you think?"

Annie shrugged. "I know he can be a little much, but when it comes to her, I think he means well. She could use a grandpa. After all, obviously your father isn't a candidate and Adam's father is completely disinterested."

Jeff frowned as he stopped typing. "Well, technically, there's your dad, right?"

"I hardly think he counts."

He turned toward her, pushing the laptop off to the side. He studied her pensive expression and hesitated a moment. "But you've had her talk to him on Skype a few times."

She began to inspect the edge of the table, quickly finding a spot of stickiness and picking at it with her nail. "Not in awhile, and that's mainly because I didn't want to confuse her. She's never going to meet him anyway, so really it's just for him. And I don't want her getting upset someday when she realizes grandpa will never come to see her."

Jeff glanced over to make sure Sophie was leaving a recuperating Ruffles alone in her crate, and relieved that this was still the case, turned back to Annie.

"No plans for him to come for a visit?"

Annie looked up and wiped her right eye with a shrug. "I've asked him, but he keeps saying he's busy right now but he'll come when he has some free time."

"Maybe he will?" Jeff knew this was lame, but he couldn't help it. He wondered how her father, with whom she had been in contact for the past year, could not have visited by now. He had his daughter back, and he had a granddaughter he had never met in person. The guy must be a piece of work.

Annie let out a low laugh and then closed her eyes. "That's what he said to me when I was _twelve_ , Jeff. He hasn't changed. He's just as avoidant as ever, and as much as I believe he feels bad and wants to help us, I don't think he has a spine. If he came back here, he'd have to face everything - me, Anthony, and of course, my mother. He's never going to do that."

"Annie." He reached over and took her hand.

She opened her eyes wide and stared at him for several moments, her lip quivering. "Who knew my mom was right? He is a coward."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"I know you can relate to crappy fathers." She sniffed.

Jeff knew it was the moment. He had been agonizing over how to bring it up, but hell. They were talking about _fathers_. He took a deep breath.

"Speaking of fathers, I wanted to talk to you about something important."

She tilted her head and frowned. "Is this about Father's Day? We don't have to go to the zoo. That was just a suggestion, so we could create some new memories, but I know it might still be too much. We can do something else."

Jeff opened his mouth to speak but began to feel his chest tightening. He closed his mouth and looked down, willing himself to have the courage to share with her what was on his mind. So far, Andre, Shirley, and Ian had all been adamant he should just tell her how he felt. They were convinced she'd be understanding and receptive to at least considering it. But despite these reassurances, he wasn't sure.

Part of him knew that by broaching the subject explicitly that he'd be devastated if she told him she was against it. He could lose his chance if he fucked this up.

With a worried gaze, Annie asked, "Are you okay?"

He nodded and gripped her hand tighter. He took a moment to swallow and then resumed eye contact. "This isn't easy for me to say, but I just want you to hear me out."

"Okay."

"Sophie has pretty crappy grandfathers."

"Agreed. Besides Pierce."

"Fine, besides Pierce. Although let's admit, he is pretty mean and creepy. Maybe not to the hob vet, but to the rest of humanity. So he's not the best model for her."

Annie squinted at him. "Jeff."

Warming up, he continued, his voice becoming steadier, "She needs reliable people in her life. And sometimes biological family isn't the best for that. If anything Greendale's taught me is that friends can be family. We can build our own family, biology be damned."

He looked at Annie's face, noticing she suddenly had a faraway look in her eyes. Realizing he hadn't yet gotten to his main point, he felt an urgent need to know she was following.

"Are you with me?"

She snapped her head back. "Um, yes. I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I think I know what you mean."

He frowned. "Do you? Cause I hadn't really…"

It was at that moment Sophie came charging up to them, her bear, Ruthie, and Hillary Rodham Kitten all in her arms. She proceeded to throw all of them on Annie's lap.

" _Mama, dey ALL thwow up! Daddy gibbed dem ALL candy!"_

"Hey, I'm pretty sure I didn't give them candy. I don't even eat candy."

Annie giggled at him and then turned her attentions to Sophie. "Sweetie, maybe they all need to take a rest, just like Ruffles? You could put them in your bed and tuck them in."

Sophie smiled. _"Okay."_ She then proceeded to yank on Annie's hand.

With an apologetic smile, Annie scooped up the stuffed animals with her free hand and stood. She then leaned down and placed a kiss on Jeff's cheek.

With a gleam in her eye she said, "I'd like to invite Professor Hickey to Sophie's birthday party. What do you think?"

Startled, Jeff looked up. "Professor Hickey? Surely he won't want to come to a three year old's party."

"I think he will. He doesn't get to see his own grandchild, and he's always so sweet with her when we come to office hours."

Struggling to absorb what he had just heard, Jeff asked, "He has a grandchild? You take her with you to office hours?"

"Yes. He said it's fine, and he has a little table set up where she can sit and color. I really want to invite him."

Jeff nodded absentmindedly as Annie allowed Sophie to pull her down the hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was Tuesday, and Jeff was still attempting to figure out how to bring up his concerns. True, Annie was at work so he couldn't do it right at that moment, but he was doing his best to convince himself to try again that night when she got home.

He told himself he didn't need to be discouraged by her reaction yesterday. She had clearly been preoccupied and had completely misinterpreted what he had been trying to say. In retrospect, it had probably been a selfish time for him to broach the subject, given she had just shared her bitter disappointments with her own father. At the time he had thought it was some sort of segue, but now he knew she hadn't been in a place to hear it.

God, he didn't want to fuck this up. 

He looked down at the notepad and crossed out the last line.

"Stupid."

He resumed writing out some semblance of what he might say to her. But it kept coming out wrong.

He felt something nudge his foot. He looked down at a sorrowful Ruffles.

"Well, look who's feeling better. I'll get your food."

Tail wagging, she followed him into the kitchen where he proceeded to fill up her food bowl. Relieved she appeared to have a hearty appetite, he walked back to the table and sat back down.

It was then that he heard the crashing sound. He jumped up and ran toward Sophie's room, a barking Ruffles dashing past him.

X

X

X

Everything seemed to happen insanely quickly and at the same time it felt like slow motion. Jeff didn't know if he had breathed since he had found her, face down in the bathroom, a towel clutched in her hand where it appeared she had slipped and hit her head on the bathtub.

He had thought she was napping, but she must have sneaked out of her room. He wondered if she was attempting to use the potty on her own or if she had been trying to wash her hands in the tub. It didn't matter, he supposed. The only thing that mattered was that he hadn't heard her, and she had tried to do something her little body couldn't do.

He felt a pit of dread in his stomach.

He had been momentarily encouraged when he heard her begin to cry, aware she was at least conscious. He had pushed a whining and licking Ruffles out of the way so that he could gently turn her over, but then was horrified to see all the blood.

He had snapped into crisis mode and wrapped her in the towel while frantically calling the clinic he already had on speed dial, where a thankfully patient woman had answered and instructed him to bring her in immediately unless he'd rather wait for an ambulance. Jeff had not taken his eyes of a shrieking Sophie while murmuring some encouraging words to her. He applied pressure to her wound which was somewhere on the side of her head, and made the decision to bring her in himself. It couldn't wait. He didn't even need to think about it.

Without giving a consideration to Ruffles, he had carefully picked Sophie up and managed to quiet her down a little by grabbing an ice pack from the freezer and applying it to her head. He instructed her to hold onto it. He smiled slightly when she managed to ask for her bear, so taking a quick moment to grab it (he noticed it was sitting in the tub), he whisked her out of the apartment and down to the Lexus.

X

After arriving at the clinic, they had been quickly met by a worried looking Dr. Rich, who had been informed they were on their way.

"Jeff, oh my goodness! Hi, Sophie. Let's just get you over here." Rich motioned for Jeff to place Sophie on a gurney.

His eyes bulging, Jeff hesitated.

Rich's usual sunny disposition faltered somewhat as he placed a hand on Jeff's arm. "Jeff, please put her down here. We'll take good care of her."

Still dazed, Jeff said, "But she stopped crying. The ice."

Rich smiled as he regarded the pack. He said in a light cheery tone, "That was good thinking on your part. And she's alert. Toddlers hit their heads all the time. Please let me take a look."

Jeff nodded and with a wrench in his chest, carefully placed Sophie on the gurney. She looked up at him and immediately began screaming.

Thankfully, Rich worked his magic and somehow put her at enough ease to lightly strap her in and whisk her back to an examining area. He motioned for Jeff to follow as a nurse handed him a clipboard.

X

Jeff remembered the unnerving emergency visit to the urgent care part of the clinic two years ago when Sophie had been ill and Annie had called him in the middle of the night. He knew all about the paperwork and had thought to bring her CHIP card with him this time. As he glanced at it before handing it over to the nursing assistant, he was aware of how angry it made him that Sophie had to be on a form of Medicaid, as Annie's income was sparse and Adam's child support payments were so low. But so far the clinic did seem to be a decent one, even if the pediatrician was Rich.

Smug Rich, who in this moment didn't bother Jeff at all. Sophie's life was literally in his hands.

It was once he was aware Rich was cleaning up her head and muttering something about stitches, that Jeff realized he hadn't called Annie. In all the franticness, he just wanted to make sure he got Sophie help. He took out his phone.

X

It was a maddening fifteen minutes before Jeff realized why Annie wasn't answering her phone. He had completely forgotten she was in a meeting with the Dean and the school board, "assisting" with the Dean's presentation asking for more funds to cover a suspected gas leak. Jeff suspected she didn't want to be interrupted and had likely shut off her phone.

He ended up leaving her a voicemail stating that while Sophie was fine, he had needed to take her to see Rich and asked her to call him back ASAP. He then, for good measure, called Troy and asked if he and Abed could come over and help him. He wasn't sure why he reached out to them, but he remembered how comforting Abed's presence had been last time. And Sophie always cheered up when she saw her favorite uncles.

He held Sophie as Rich stitched her up, thankful that they had numbed the wound so while she was still scared, she was not in any pain. She had seemed more alarmed by the nurse shaving off a patch of her hair then Rich taking a needle and thread to her. He murmured some encouraging words to her and again trusted Rich to keep a steady hand, which he did.

With the flash of blindingly white teeth, Rich said, "There now, we're all done. I'm just going to put this little bandage on it. There. Great job, Sophie. You did really well."

" _I all better?"_

"Yes, I stitched you up. Just don't touch it, okay?"

" _Okay."_

Jeff felt her relax her grip on him ever so slightly as she observed her stitches in the mirror Rich was holding up.

" _We da same."_ She gestured toward the stitches along the side of the bear's body.

" _Bear need bath. But bathtub ouch-ey."_

X

After going through wound care instructions, Rich took some time to inspect Sophie's coordination, presumably looking for any sign of brain injury. Jeff held his breath again, glancing at his nonresponsive phone.

"I think we should run some tests. She's a little wobbly."

"Tests?"

"We should get her a scan, just to be sure."

Jeff felt his chest tighten. Rich smiled at him and then addressed Sophie in a sing-songy voice, "It'll just take a few minutes, and then it'll be all done. It's kind of like a giant robot."

" _Yeah?"_

"Yes. It's really neato!"

Jeff let out a breath. "Whatever you need to do. Let's just make sure she's okay."

Turning toward him, Rich's expression tightened. "I just need Annie's signature on some forms."

"I filled everything out."

"It's a special consent form."

"But I can…"

-"Jeff, we both know you can't. I need Annie to do it, since she's her mother."

Jeff pulled Sophie a little closer and closed his eyes. "Crap. She's in this meeting, and she's not responding to my calls, so I have no idea when I can get a hold of her."

"Keep trying. We can settle for verbal permission if you can just get her on the phone."

Jeff opened his eyes. "How long can this wait?"

Uncharacteristically dropping his voice, Rich said, "I'd recommend as soon as possible, just in case. If something is wrong, we have time to fix it."

 _Just in case._

 _Time to fix it._

Jeff quickly pulled out his phone and, pushing down the bile coming up his throat, made another call.

X

Luckily Troy and Abed arrived by the time Jeff needed them. After mouthing to Troy to stop whimpering, Jeff carefully handed Sophie to Abed and instructed them to stay with her while he attended to some medical paperwork. Abed gave him a quizzical look, but Jeff waived him off and left for the reception area.

A few minutes later, he looked up to see Adam pushing through the door. If Jeff had not known better, he'd have sworn the guy looked worried. But then again, this was Adam, someone not know for his empathy. Glancing back down at his still quiet phone, Jeff took a deep breath, stood, and walked over to him.

"Hey, thanks for coming over."

Adam rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure. What the hell happened?"

"She slipped on a towel or something and hit her head on the bathtub. She's fine, we got her all stitched up." Jeff began clicking his pen as he conjured the image of Sophie lying on the floor.

"Okay, wow."

"But I just need you to sign a consent form for them to scan her. They need to make sure there's no internal bleeding."

Adam winced. "God, yeah, of course."

They walked over to the desk and Jeff took the clipboard from the administrative assistant and handed it along with the pen over to Adam.

As Adam began to sign, he said, "So where is Annie again?"

"She's stuck in a meeting and her phone off. Otherwise I wouldn't have bothered you."

Adam muttered, "You know, I'm not a complete asshole. You're not _bothering_ me."

He finished signing and handed over the form to the assistant, who proceeded to hand him another form. He skimmed it over and then signed.

The assistant nodded and casting Jeff a look, took the forms, and headed back to the examination area.

Adam turned to Jeff. "She's fine?"

Jeff did his best to remain calm, taking a deep breath. "We'll see."

"I mean, what am I supposed to do now?"

Jeff turned to him with a pained expression. "Christ, I don't care. Thank you for coming down here and doing this, really. But I've got this. You can stay and wait, but it might be awhile. Or I can call you later."

Adam nodded and let out a breath. "It's crazy. Like Annie's in a meeting and they wouldn't give Sophie a scan. How can they do that?"

Jeff rapped his fingers on the desk and looked down. "Technically, it's elective. But I know Dr. Rich, and I've never seen that look in his eyes. This wasn't something to mess around with. And I'm not going to let Sophie be in unnecessary danger."

"Right."

Glancing back toward the examination room, Jeff said, "I'm going to go back there and make sure she's okay. But honestly, I think your presence here will confuse her, and Abed and Troy are already back there, so…"

"I'll just stay out here."

"Okay."

X

About ten minutes later, Jeff returned to the reception area while holding Sophie's bear. He took a moment to regard Adam, who was sitting near the window hunched over his phone. He walked over and sat down next to him.

"She's getting the scan right now. They kicked me out."

Adam looked up and let out a breath. "How long?"

"I don't know exactly. They're going to flag me down when it's getting close to being over." He smiled tightly as he added, "But she's a taking it like a champ."

"Is she in pain?"

"They gave her a localized anesthetic, so no, thank god. But I'm sure she won't be happy later."

Adam glanced back down at his phone. "Annie still hasn't called. I tried to get through and just left her a message. I told her everything was okay but she should get over here."

Jeff scrunched up his brow. "You called her?"

"Yeah, just in case she was out of her meeting. She's gonna freak."

"Um, thanks."

They sat awkwardly for a few moments, both staring at their phones, wanting Annie to break the tension.

Adam tapped his finger against his phone with impatience.

He blurted, "I know Annie's probably told you a bunch of stuff about me, but I'm not always a screw-up. And there are two sides to every story."

Jeff sat back in his chair said through gritted teeth, "I hardly think it's the time for you to trash talk Annie."

Adam continued to tap on his phone. "I'm not. All I'm saying is she may not believe this, but I've tried to do the right thing. She put me in an unexpected situation when she went against my wishes and decided to raise Sophie."

Jeff pursed his lips as he regarded Sophie's bear. "But she did decide. And then your daughter became _real_. You had a choice about how to proceed, and you could have sucked up all the fear and decided to be a hands-on father, not just some drop-by idiot who'll always confuse her."

Adam shifted his position and placed his phone on the table between them. "That's very easy for you to say. I still don't quite get your and Annie's relationship, but you're like practically middle-aged…"

-"I am not."

"My point is, you're older and I guess the idea of being responsible for a small helpless child doesn't freak you out. This is not the time in my life when I wanted to do this. And Annie should be carefree too right now. She should be going to Yale or wherever she wants and dating and having fun before settling down. That's been my opinion all along. People _your_ age are ready for this and they do it everyday, but …. _fuck_."

Jeff squinted at him. In response to this outburst, all he could mange was, "Sophie's an awesome little kid. She's not hard to love."

"If you had been my age and this happened, what would you have done?"

Taken aback by the question, Jeff looked down and contemplated his response for a few moments. He took a deep breath.

"If I'm being honest, I probably would have had a strong urge to bail."

"Urge? What would you have _done_?"

Jeff winced and lifted his head to stare at the far wall. "Crap. I don't know."

"I've done my best here."

Jeff leaned forward and began to inspect Sophie's bear. Through clenched teeth, he remarked, "I hardly think it's your _best._ "

With a flash of irritation, Adam continued, "I want Sophie to be happy and safe. So thank you for bringing her here and looking out for her. I appreciate it."

Jeff turned toward him. "Are you doing the _steps_ again or something?"

Adam rolled his eyes. "No, but this just seemed like a time to say it. You paint me as this villain or something, and I get it, I do. I've been petty at times about what happened between me and Annie. But the last thing I want is for Sophie to get hurt."

Stunned by what he figured was actual sincerity on Adam's part Jeff mumbled, "Well, fine. Okay."

They sat in strained silence for a few moments, both not so surreptitiously checking their phones for signs of Annie.

Finally, Jeff managed, "Given what happened today and you moving soon, we should probably come up with some arrangement so this situation doesn't happen again. If you weren't living here, I wouldn't have been able to get her the scan."

Adam frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jeff sat up straighter and cleared his throat. As he absentmindedly pet the bear between its ears, he said, "You and Annie could grant me medical power of attorney."

At the raise of Adam's brows, Jeff explained, "It's just a fancy term which means I would have the authority to make medical decisions if you and Annie aren't present."

Visibly relaxing, Adam quickly nodded. "We finally agree on something."

"Good. I'll talk to Annie about it and we'll have our lawyer draw up the document. It's pretty straightforward."

Adam let out a low laugh. "It's crazy, isn't it? That they'd need _me_ to grant permission for them to take care of her. And you're with her all the time and they just ignore you."

Jeff stiffened. "You're seriously making this a power play?"

Adam rolled his eyes as he began to crack his knuckles. "Oh for crying out loud, no. Look, I don't care. I already agreed with you; I'll sign it. And anything else you need me to sign so that you can take care of her. I'm almost outta here for grad school and I don't want Annie blaming me if I can't be available. We're cool."

Jeff thought better about making a comment. Instead, he patted the bear's head and began to plan out his conversation with Annie.

Troy then popped around the corner, carrying a ridiculous amount of goldfish cheese crackers from the vending machine. As he approached, he cast Adam a glare.

He addressed Jeff. "The nurse says she's almost done. You can go back to see her."

X

Annie burst through the doors, her hair half falling out of a high bun. She was trailed by the Dean, who was clasping his hands while emitting a low mumble of lament.

Annie glanced around frantically before approaching the desk and explaining who she was.

The assistant smiled at her. "Your daughter's fine. She has quite a fan club back there."

"Fan club?"

X

Annie's eyes watered as she held Sophie and took in the information Rich shared with her, Jeff, and Adam. Troy and Abed had been asked to wait with the Dean in reception as the room had been getting pretty crowded.

She lightly pet the non-stitched part of Sophie's head. "So she's fine?"

Rich smiled and looked intently at Annie. "Absolutely. No signs of concussion or other damage. Just make sure you keep icing it, and come back so we can take out the stitches. We'll make an appointment before you leave. But she's a trooper. Aren't you, Sophie? Good job."

Sophie smiled weekly while she sucked her thumb and clutched her bear.

Jeff leaned down and gave Sophie a kiss on her cheek. "We love you, munchkin."

" _I lub you, Daddy. Und I lub Mama."_

Annie smiled down at Sophie, taking a moment to wipe her eye with her free hand. "I love you too, sweetie. You're going to be all better."

Adam watched the interaction and sat back in his chair with crossed arms.

After Rich left, they went over some things with the nurse and got their things together, Jeff explaining that they should probably transport Sophie back in Annie's car as his was kind of a mess. At Annie's raised brow, he quickly changed the subject, not wanting to upset her.

"So Adam and I had a little chat, didn't we?"

Annie turned to Adam with a quizzical look.

Adam exchanged glances with Jeff. Rubbing the back of his neck, he explained, "Yeah, after I move, this could be a huge deal if something like this happened again, so Jeff thinks we should grant him medical power of attorney so he can make decisions like this if you can't be located. And I think that's a really good idea."

Annie adjusted Sophie in her arms. "Yes, it is. We probably should have done that before, but I didn't think about it."

Jeff smiled slightly. "Me neither. But yeah, I'll talk to Mark and get the papers drawn up. It'll be easy."

"Thank you." She turned back to Adam, who was watching Sophie's lack of eye contact with him with a curious expression on his face. Annie added, "And thank you so much for coming over here and signing everything to make sure they could get her checked out."

He frowned. "Sure." He leaned in and addressed Sophie, "Hey, Sophie, looks like you'll be okay. I'm going to go now."

Sophie took her thumb out of her mouth. _"Okay. Bye bye."_

"Bye bye, Sophie."

X

X

X

As they were discussing the plan for that evening, Jeff pushed open the apartment door and was startled to find Ruffles greeting them warmly.

Annie arched a brow. "You forgot to put her in her crate?"

Jeff sighed as he bent down to briefly pet Ruffles. "I didn't think it was the priority."

"You must have been really scared." Her voice cracked.

"Let's talk about that later." He stood and they all made their way toward Sophie's room.

As they entered, they spied Ruffles' blanket on Sophie's bed along with a slightly soggy Ruthie.

"Looks like she made herself at home."

X

Annie emerged from Sophie's room a little while later after Sophie had drifted off to sleep. She placed the used ice pack back in the freezer and then joined Jeff on the couch.

He pulled his eyes off of Ruffles, who was sitting attentively near the doorway, staring down the hallway.

"She's been motionless the whole time I've been in here."

"Really? That's so sweet."

"I'm pretty sure she's worried about Sophie."

Annie nodded and turning back to him said, "I'm going to sleep in her room tonight. Can you please get the air mattress out?"

"Yeah, of course. I'll join you guys. We can make it a family camping trip."

He eyed Ruffles as she slowly began to trot down the hallway. Exchanging incredulous glances, they rose and followed her.

The dog stopped in front of Sophie's cracked door and then nudged her nose in to open it just enough so she could go inside. They watched as she silently stepped over to the bed and jumped on top of it near Sophie's feet.

Annie placed her hand on Jeff's now outstretched arm and whispered, "Let her. She's fine."

He whispered back, "She's a dog, Annie. We shouldn't leave them alone."

"But she's so gentle with her. And Sophie's sleeping. Let's just leave the door open."

He sighed but couldn't help but notice the warmth spreading through his chest.

They ventured back out to the living room and sat back down on the couch.

Jeff had been contemplating his strategy while Annie was tending to Sophie, and he knew he couldn't hold back. He had to at least broach the subject, even if after the crazy events of the day they didn't make a decision.

Annie nuzzled into his side. "I don't even want to think what could have happened if you hadn't acted so quickly."

He pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her head. "Thankfully it was mostly just a bloody mess rather than a life-threatening situation."

"How bloody was it?"

"I cleaned up the bathroom while you guys were settling in."

"The Lexus?"

"I'll deal with it. Most important thing is she's safe."

She lifted her head up and looked at him though watery eyes. "You're amazing. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

He hesitated a moment but then went for it.

"You're okay with the power of attorney thing?"

Taken aback by the shift in tone, she paused before responding. "Of course I am. It makes a lot of sense."

"Yeah, err, it does make sense. It's practical. I'm with her a lot more than he is, and he'll be moving away soon. We should put legal measures in place so we don't have to rely on him."

She furrowed her brow. "Are there other things we should think about?"

"We should consider me having regular power of attorney for her so I can act on her behalf. After talking to Adam today, I think he'd be completely fine with it."

She nodded.

Encouraged, he made the decision to press on. "After what happened today, it was scary. They wouldn't let me make any decisions for her. I had to call _him_ , and luckily he came over, but we talked, and…" he winced but then continued, "he actually thanked me for taking care of her. He said he'd do whatever he needed to do to make it easier for me to continue to do so."

She pulled back slightly and regarded him with a frown. "What exactly did you two discuss?"

"Nothing explicitly."

She continued to regard him with a pained expression.

He cleared this throat, and his voice waivered as he continued, "I have a confession. It's something that's been going through my head for a long time now, ever since we first got together. Something I've been ashamed of."

Surprised, Annie scooted closer to him and widened her eyes.

He continued in a lower tone, "When I was around Adam's age, I was in a relationship with a woman named Madeline. It started to get serious."

She reached over and squeezed his arm. "Is this what Ian's been teasing you about?"

He smirked. "He's not teasing me. He's _reminding_ me. We've been talking about it a lot lately, and I've been talking to my therapist about it too."

"What happened?"

He took a deep breath. "Things were going well, I really liked her. The thing was…. she was honest with me from the beginning…. but I didn't really think it through. At first we were just having fun, and then I started to develop feelings for her and … crap."

"I don't understand."

"She had a kid. He was six."

Annie stared at him in wonder.

He ducked his head. "As we got more serious, we decided I should meet him. She was very careful who she let around him, but we had been dating six months, so we thought it was time."

Annie's mouth opened slightly but she closed it and waited.

"So we met, and it went really well. He was so cute and excited, and we talked about sports and his favorite superheroes, and dammit, it was like a frickin' fairytale. He never knew his dad, so he really needed one. And I promised him I'd go to his baseball game."

"Oh, Jeff."

He could hear the heartbreak in her voice, but pressed on with his tale.

"And Madeline was really happy, and I felt so good in that moment. I over-promised. I _wanted_ to be that guy. But I wasn't. I hadn't yet evolved. So I ended it, but not before completely ditching his game."

Annie's lip began to tremble. "You were scared?"

He cast her a tentative look before turning away. "Completely freaked out. At that time, I was convinced I was just as horrible of a person as my father, so of course I just went ahead and made it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Madeline and Jake deserved better, and I hope to god they're happy now. I'll never forgive myself for being such an ass."

Annie gulped. "You were a lot younger, you were still in your fake-lawyer mode."

"It was still a shitty thing for me to do."

Not disagreeing, she asked, "Why are you telling me this now?"

He sighed and turned back to her, this time making steady eye contact. "I need you to understand. I know I've changed. But I was talking to Adam today, and well, he asked me a question and it reminded me of all of it and well, some men either aren't cut out for fatherhood or aren't ready for it. Adam clearly is not."

Annie shifted her position, lacing together her fingers as she steeled herself for what was coming.

Jeff began to reach toward her but stopped, letting his hand drop back into his lap.

"I haven't wanted to bring this up because I wasn't sure how you'd react, but how would you feel if I were to eventually adopt her?"

He watched as she visibly tensed, her eyes going wide as she moved further away from him. She turned on her side and pulled up her knees to her face, resting her chin on them as she looked down.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity before she resumed his gaze.

Biting her lip, she regarded him for a few moments and then said in a slightly trembling voice, "I don't know."

He closed his eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just need to think about it."

"What is there to think about?"

She pulled her legs tighter. "That would be a pretty big deal."

"Duh."

"You're already her father."

He opened his eyes. "I want to be her legal father. I want to be her father in every way."

Annie's voice began to take on an almost whining tone. "But if we…. It would mean Adam ... And she'd _know_. And I don't know if I even want to know if he'd _agree_. Or how that would effect her."

Jeff nodded. "He'll effect her either way, Annie. It'll suck."

They sat silently, Annie continuing to bite her lip while maintaining intermittent eye contact with him. Jeff waited patiently, aware that this was what he feared would happen. He knew he couldn't push too hard or he'd lose his chance.

Finally, Annie said, "I've been holding out some small hope that she'd get to know him someday. But if we do this, she won't."

Already prepared for such a concern, Jeff said, "Not necessarily. We could talk to him about it and work something out."

"I know it sounds silly, but I still don't know if I'm ready to know what he'd do. I don't know if I…" her voice cracked and she looked back down, a tear falling down her cheek.

Jeff reached over and gently lifted up her chin. Gazing in to her eyes, he said, "We can't keep doing this forever."

"Can't we?"


	5. Advanced Human Development

**Chapter 5: Advanced Human Development**

Summary: Jeff evolves

"So I suppose you're going to be a _daddy_ this weekend."

Jeff looked up from his work and smiled tightly. He did his best to assume an overly sincere tone. "Why yes I am, Mitchell. Thank you for remembering."

Mitchell stood in the doorway, smirking as he leaned his shoulder against the frame. Penelope bristled in irritation from her spot in the chair to the right of Jeff's desk. She placed her notepad and pen on the side table in resignation at the interruption. Jeff waited for the punch line, knowing he was playing his part as the straight man for the so-called gag.

After a dramatic pause Mitchell continued, "Instead of making the ladies _scream daddy_ , like the good 'ol days."

Catching Penelope's throat clearing, Jeff kept his eyes on Mitchell, who continued to stare at him smugly.

With an even tone he replied, "I hope you have a lovely weekend, Mitchell. Making whomever scream whatever. Have fun."

Mitchell appeared to startle for a moment and then frowned. " _You're_ no fun, Winger."

" _We_ 've never had fun. You're acting like we used to hang out." Jeff pursed his lips and began to absentmindedly slide a notepad back and forth on the desk.

"Alan said you used to be wild. He says you're lame now."

"Well, Alan I have different ideas of what's fun. But that's between him and me."

Mitchell continued to furrow his brow, turning something over in his mind. He then remarked, "I told him I was going to come down here and needle you about Father's Day, and he seemed surprised. He said he didn't know you had a kid."

Jeff nodded, his eyes flashing with irritation. "I told you, Alan and I are not close." He paused, but then asked, "Since when do you two hang out anyway? I thought you were more of a Trevor and Jimmy type."

"I might be up for partner soon."

No other explanation needed to be said. Of course no one would voluntarily socialize with Alan Connor. No one except Jeff in the good ol' days, that is. Jeff did his best to ignore the burn near his heart as he briefly recalled how Alan used to be his default drinking buddy. They had been colleagues with no power differential, and Jeff didn't have any strategic advantage in their friendship. He realized now he had merely gone along with it, as he had been desperate for company, even if it had been Alan.

He attempted to regain perspective on the present moment and leaned back in his chair. Casting a pitying look at Mitchell, he merely said, "Ahh."

Mitchell leaned forward in the doorway and asked tersely, "So if you have any tips on Alan, would you mind?"

There was a loud throat clearing from the right. "Is anyone noticing that I'm here? Mitchell, we were in the middle of something." Penelope gave him an incredulous stare.

In response Mitchell waived a hand dismissively in her direction and kept his focus on Jeff. "Just a sec. Seriously, tips on Connor? Help a guy out."

Jeff winced. "Christ. I don't know. Just hang around him at a bar or strip club and things will get interesting." He then turned toward Penelope and mumbled, "Sorry."

She rolled her eyes.

He then sat up straighter and turned toward Mitchell. "Penelope and I were discussing an important case. And I really don't have much else to tell you about Alan. So, if you don't mind." He made a shooing gesture toward him.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind myself some time alone with the mocha queen here." Mitchell jerked a thumb toward Penelope and cackled.

Penelope huffed and, ignoring Jeff's horrified look, addressed Mitchell, "You will not speak that way to me or I'll go to HR again."

With a quizzical stare, Mitchell replied, "I meant that as a compliment. You have a really nice skin color. You should be proud. It's not too dark or too pasty. Just perfect."

"Mitchell!"

"I am not here for your amusement or to look attractive to you. I'm here to work. And I am deadly serious. If you say one more word to me I will report this."

Jeff pushed down the bile in his throat and said, "And I will be her witness."

As he threw up his hands, Mitchell groaned. "God. You know, Winger, you could be a little nicer to me. When I become partner I could make your life very cushy. Once you have that little degree, we could talk and make some things happen." He let his arms fall to his side as he lowered his voice and asked, "Tips on Connor? Spill it."

Jeff began to tap his pen on his desk. "I told you, that's all I've got."

Squinting at him, Mitchell remarked, "Unlikely. I've got to get back to the third floor." He then hit the doorframe in frustration and waltzed off down the hallway.

Jeff turned back to Penelope, who was giving him an icy stare.

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I know he's an asshole dripping with casual sexism and racism."

Appearing to make the decision to change the subject, Penelope commented, "He's right. You did used to party with Alan."

"Unfortunately, yes."

Lowering her voice, she scooted her chair closer and asked, "Is it true? Does he really do coke?"

Jeff cringed and began casting his eyes around the room. "Look, we shouldn't be talking about this. I don't really have anything to say."

She nodded and sat back with crossed arms. "That's what I thought. There are rumors all over the place. The guy's a mess. Mark my words, one day he'll go down in flames and powder."

Jeff quickly turned back toward his computer screen. "We should really get back to this."

She continued, "I'm glad you don't hang out with him anymore. You've changed a lot in the past few years. It's nice."

Feeling the warmth in his cheeks, Jeff cast her a surreptitious look and shrugged. "Please."

She smiled. "You have. And I'm glad I mainly work with you and Mark versus those other losers. Thank you for not talking about strip clubs in front of me."

Jeff let out a long sigh as he turned back to her and leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers in back of his head. "Mark and I don't go to strip clubs."

She nodded. "That's my point. And you've got your hands full, it seems." She flashed a bemused smile over at the little framed picture next to Jeff's computer.

He suppressed a smirk. "Well, she demands a lot of my time."

"She doing better?"

"She's on her way to a complete recovery. We got the stitches out and her hair's starting to grow back. Thanks for remembering."

Clearly taken aback at Jeff's surprise about her comment, she merely said, "Of course."

Jeff, warming to the subject, crossed one foot over the other knee and added, "We know she's feeling better because she's been pretending to scan her stuffed animals and sew them up. I'm convinced the dog is her assistant."

Penelope laughed. "That's too cute."

At that moment, Mark knocked on the open door and apologetically peeked his head in. "Hey guys."

"Hi Mark." Penelope grinned at him as she picked up the picture.

"What's up?"

"Jeff, I have those documents you wanted. All pretty straightforward." Mark walked over and placed a manila file on the desk.

Jeff stared at the folder, knowing it contained the power of attorney paperwork which he had asked Mark to compile. Even if his recent conversations with Annie hadn't really cleared up anything regarding the adoption issue, he was pleased they were on the same page about everything else. And he had double-checked with Adam the previous weekend on yet another awkward visit, and he was still willing to sign everything.

He knew they should move ahead with this, regardless of what other decisions were made. He didn't want to push the issue, as he hadn't even yet proposed. He was still sneaking around with Shirley looking at rings and in general low-key freaking out about how to go about proposing to the amazing Annie Edison.

He snapped back to the present moment and smiled slightly. "Thanks."

"How's Sophie doing?"

"She's going to be fine."

"Good. Tell Annie hi from me." After a moment of hesitation, Mark added, "We should get together soon."

Jeff smirked. "You and Jenny still going strong?"

Mark reddened and, casting a sheepish look at Penelope who was doing her best not to show her curiosity too much, said, "Well, yes, actually. Maybe the four of us could grab dinner?"

"Sure. I'll check with Annie."

"Great. Oh, and happy Father's Day. Hope you have a good weekend."

"Thanks. You too."

After Mark left, Penelope began to chuckle.

Jeff looked over at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"You two are adorable. It's such a refreshing change from the third floor. If you two ever leave, please take me with you."

A contemplative smile formed on Jeff's face as he nodded. He made a mental note to talk to Mark about it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff's second Father's Day was a little more involved than the first. Annie cheerily planned out their activities, including picking his mom up for lunch followed by an afternoon at the zoo. She seemed determined that Jeff would have a corrective experience.

Sophie was reluctant to leave Ruffles, as the two of them had been together almost constantly since her accident. After the first night of Ruffles sleeping on Sophie's bed, Annie and Jeff had caved and allowed Ruffles to sleep with her crate door open, choosing if and when she ventured out. Given that she hadn't destroyed anything while she was free in the apartment during Sophie's crisis, they knew it was unlikely she'd get up to any mischief during the night. And Sophie always slept with her door open (as did they after sexy adult times were had earlier in the evening), so Ruffles could go in there if she wanted and she could escape back to her crate.

It turned out that Ruffles pretty much generally wandered off to Sophie's room after her last walk of the night and then stayed there. Annie and Jeff were pleased that Sophie seemed soothed by this and stopped barging into their room in the early morning hours.

At present, Annie looked down at a somber Sophie.

" _Wuffles need me._ "

"Sweetie, we're going to see Grandma! And then we're going to the zoo to meet lots of animals! It'll be so much fun!"

Sophie pouted. _"We take Wuffles und go see Gamma. Und Wuffles id an-ee-maal. Wuffles go to zoo wid me."_

Jeff smirked at Annie and then crouched down to be eye level with Sophie. "I know you'll miss Ruffles. But she'll be much happier here. She'll probably take a nap, and then when we come home she'll wake up and want to play with you. Let's go see Grandma."

" _Okay."_

Annie watched with a swell of emotion as Jeff leaned over and hugged Sophie.

X

Annie buckled Sophie into the stroller as she continued to chat with Dorie. "So we decided I'd be the one to get in the pool with her for swimming lessons. He's much too vain."

With a feigned gasp of indignation Jeff said, "That is ridiculous, Annie. I told you it won't bother me in the slightest if the other moms can't handle this and faint." He gestured to his torso before adding, "More pool for me and the munchkin."

Annie looked up and him cracked a slight smile. "You're terrible."

Dorie shook her head and sighed before turning to grab Sophie's bag from the back of the SUV.

Annie added, "When can you get in a chlorine pool anyway after chest waxing? I wouldn't want you to get a rash."

Jeff's eyes widened in disbelief that she was partly trash-talking him and likely flirting with him in front of his mother. The flirting came to mind because this type of talk from Annie usually ended up in more attempts to _put him in his place_. He attempted to not think about what she might have in mind for later. After all, it was his day.

"You wax your chest, dear?"

Blushing, Jeff cast Annie an incredulous look and then addressed his mother. "She's just…" He pushed down a stammer. "It's a thing a lot of men do these days. It helps show off muscle definition."

He tried not to be distracted by Annie's brief glance up at him and then her head duck as she attended to Sophie.

Dorie frowned. "Well, that's strange. Most men my age are hairy."

"Mom, since when do you see men's chests?"

"I'm older and wiser than you, dear. I've seen my share of chests."

Annie looked up and watched as the two of them stared awkwardly at each other, Jeff crossing his arms as he likely took deep breaths. Dorie merely kept her gaze steady, finally giving a nod as Jeff bit his lip in defeat.

" _We go swim, mama?"_

She startled back to Sophie with a smile. "Not today, sweetie. But soon. Two more weeks."

" _I lub my babing suit."_

"I know. It's super cute on you."

" _I wear my babing suit now, pease? Go car und get id, mama."_

"It's not in the car, sweetie. And I told you, we're not going swimming today."

Sophie hunched forward and frowned. _"I lub lellow."_

Annie glanced up at Dorie's inquisitive face and explained, "Her bathing suit is yellow."

Dorie smiled.

Jeff let out a breath and said dryly, "We also got her some ridiculously giant goggles. She's going to be quite fashionable."

Annie squinted up at him. "Jeff, she has glasses. She needs to wear them to _see_ ,and she needs goggles to cover them up."

Dorie slung Sophie's bag over her shoulder and lightly patted Jeff's arm. "Sometimes fashion isn't the goal, dear. It's like waxing. That must get terribly pricey, and I'm sure Annie doesn't care how hairy you are."

Jeff reached over and took Sophie's bag from her, rolling his eyes.

X

Jeff did his best to project a lightheartedness as they walked through the large parking lot toward the zoo entrance. He smiled tightly when Annie squeezed his hand but otherwise gave no indication anything was unusual. He caught his mother's concerned look several times but again flashed her a grin and then looked straight ahead.

Annie knew this was a big deal for him, even if he wouldn't admit it. She held onto his hand, letting Dorie take over stroller duties so that she could be free to comfort him. She knew he likely wouldn't overtly panic, but this would be difficult for him, going to the exact zoo where his father had abandoned him so long ago.

They made it through the ticket line and then the official entrance. Annie suggested they start with a visit to see the penguins. She let out a sigh of relief as the color returned to Jeff's face and he bent down to pick up an excited Sophie so that she could see the creatures better. She then watched as he kissed Sophie's cheek before pointing out a baby penguin.

Annie and Dorie exchanged relieved looks and then joined in on the penguin watching.

" _Wuffles like pen-gins too."_

"I'm sure she does, munchkin. Maybe we could take some pictures for you to show her later."

" _Okay."_

X

Eventually they settled down at a picnic table to have some refreshments in the shade. It was a hot June day, and Sophie had started to _wilt,_ as Jeff described it.

"So no first birthday party for Braden?" Annie wrinkled her brow in thought as she cast a swift glance at Sophie and then back to Dorie.

Dorie placed her elbow on the table and cradled her head in her hand. She took a moment to study Annie's face, forcing herself to smile slightly as she did so. With a heavy sigh she replied, "Sadly, no. Holly wanted to keep things low-key. They'll celebrate, but she didn't want a big fuss with the rest of the family."

"I can't believe they're actually getting a divorce. That's terrible."

Jeff piped in, "I'm not surprised. I told you this would happen. Matt's a bonafide jerk."

" _What a jek, Daddy?"_

"Hey, why don't you have some more of these crackers."

" _Okay."_

Annie cast Jeff a judgmental look. "Jeff. Language."

He grimaced. "Sorry. Hey, at least I'm a master of misdirection."

"That's true. You've very talented that way." Softening her gaze, she added with a more deliberate tone, "You do a really good job with her."

He shrugged, but it was evident he was suppressing a smile. Dorie watched the two of them as they continued to eye each other almost shyly.

Finally, she interrupted. "Am I missing something, dears?"

Annie visibly reddened as she began to scoop up Sophie's cracker crumbs into a napkin. "No. I just think Jeff's a pretty amazing father."

"Annie." He shifted Sophie on his lap and looked down, sliding over her sippy cup which she proceeded to grab with gusto.

"You are. Happy Father's Day, Jeff." She wiped the corner of her eye.

He returned her smile and held her gaze for a few moments before responding, "Thank you."

Dorie puffed out her chest and gave a nod. "I agree. And I'm very happy you all let me tag along."

" _Hap-py Dad-ddy Day."_

Jeff startled as he glanced down toward the chirpy voice. "Thanks, munchkin." He then looked over at his mother. "Of course we invited you. You were pretty much my mother _and_ my father."

"That's lovely for you to say, dear."

He took a deep breath and then added, "And as someone remarked to me recently, you raised me right."

Dorie's eyes suddenly began to tear as she sputtered, "You were a pleasure to raise…I loved you so much….and I'm so sorry I let him take you here that day. I'll never forgive myself."

It was then that Jeff and Annie realized who might be having the hardest time today. Annie scooted over to Dorie and gave her a hug. Jeff then placed Sophie on the ground and relieved Annie. He spent the next several minutes merely sitting with his mother in silence, her head on his shoulder.

As he stared off toward the elephant enclosure, he couldn't help but come to the conclusion that he was a lucky guy. Zoos weren't terrible places for him anymore, and he could look at them through the eyes of an innocent child and know that he would never be capable of abandoning her. And he had an amazing girlfriend who loved him unconditionally.

And then there was his mother, the most wonderful mother he could ever hope for. Sure, she had made mistakes and she liked to needle him, but she was his mom. He knew she had been broken and built herself up again. He realized he at times forgot how fragile she was underneath, and pulled her into a firm side hug, resting his chin on her head.

He whispered, "There's nothing to forgive. I love you, mom."

X

A little while later, Jeff became overwhelmed with the state of Sophie's stickiness and cheesiness and scooped her up to take her to the bathroom and get cleaned up.

Watching him go, Annie mumbled, "He's been acting strange."

Dorie, cradling her chin once again on her hand, turned her eyes from Jeff's retreating figure to Annie. She smiled softly. "I think he's handling today really well. I was so worried what it would be like for him here."

Annie studied Sophie's sippy cup for a moment, turning it around to see if there was any cheese residue on the side. Spotting some, she grabbed a wet wipe and began to clean it.

"I'm glad he's okay too, today. I meant in general lately. He's not himself."

"What's wrong?"

Annie sighed and stopped her wiping efforts. Looking up at Dorie, she replied, "He's been more guarded. Like he's preoccupied by something."

"Well, now I'm sure it's nothing. We both know Jeffrey's usually stuck in his head."

Annie winced. With a slight tremble she explained, "We had kind of a tense conversation recently. I'm worried I hurt his feelings."

"Tense?" Dorie tilted her head and waited.

Annie lowered her voice. "He told me something that I know was really difficult for him, something that was important to him, and I'm afraid I didn't react the best. He said it was okay, but I don't think it is."

Dorie took a moment to consider this. Although it seemed Annie wasn't willing to divulge the particulars, she pushed her curiosity aside and said firmly, "Well, you two have been adorable today, so I doubt anything's seriously wrong even if you do feel guilty about something you said to him. But if you're concerned, you should talk to him about it."

"I know."

Looking off toward the elephant enclosure, Annie flashed back to their conversation, and her _can't we_ question, how Jeff had continued to regard her with a vulnerability and hopefulness she didn't often see. She had wished in that moment she could give him what he wanted. He was a good father to Sophie, he was consistent, he was surprisingly patient, and he handled her with a carefulness Annie never saw from the other fathers she knew.

Part of her had wanted to forge ahead and tell Adam they were going to do this. But then the hurt and angry part of her wasn't ready to bear it. She knew it was probably more about her than it was about Sophie's feelings, but at the same time she wasn't deluded to think it wouldn't effect Sophie in some way, likely many years from now when she was a potentially rebellious teenager, and then she might make painful mistakes. But that could happen anyway, she realized.

Although Jeff had made it clear he was in no rush to make a final decision about it and they weren't even engaged, she felt compelled to make up her mind as soon as possible. As she watched a grinning Jeff walking back to the table holding a clearly delighted Sophie, she realized she was getting closer.

He was Sophie's father. The only father she'll ever know.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Listen, can we hurry this up? I have to get home."

Shirley looked up sharply from her perusal of the jewelry display case. "You did not just speak to me that way, Jeffrey."

Jeff shifted his weight to his other foot and sighed while meeting her stare. "I can't have Annie find out we're doing this. If I'm not home within a half hour, she's going to get suspicious."

Shirley grinned. "But she'll figure it out soon, once you _propose_! So who cares if she gets a little upset now? It'll all be fine in the end." She patted him dismissively on the arm and turned her attentions back to the shiny rings below.

He watched her hum to herself as she continued to scan the assortment of gems. They had been to three jewelers over the past couple weeks, and each time he hadn't been satisfied, no matter how many rings Shirley encouraged him to view. She was eager to help him negotiate prices too, but he held her back from doing so, as he hadn't yet found _the_ one.

"I know you're eager to marry us off, but I want the right ring."

She replied in a sing-songy voice, "Which is why I'm taking my time here. Sometimes it is best to cultivate a little patience."

"Says the woman who threatened to break a jukebox over Annie's head the first day they met."

Continuing in her light tone, she said, "Don't you go throwing that back in my face, Jeffrey. That was a trying day for all of us."

"And you threw a shoe at Andre last week."

Her eyes still on the display, she muttered, "Now why does he tell you these things? Plus he knows he shouldn't be late coming home. I needed to get to my shop."

"Do you want Annie to throw a shoe at me? Cause I'm going to be late."

"Now we both know Annie doesn't throw shoes. She'll be fine."

"I don't want her to think I'm having an affair."

Shirley turned to him, one hand on her hip. "You're being a lunatic, you know that. It's almost as if you were stalling." Tilting her head to the case, she added, "This one."

Jeff turned and looked down. "Oh my god. Yeah."

Shirley giggled in triumph.


	6. Generalized What?

**Chapter 6: Generalized What?**

Summary: Jeff over thinks

xxxxx

A/N: Apologies for the delay, but life was busy these past couple weeks. Plus good ol' Celery somehow got a touch of carpal tunnel and needed to step away from the laptop.

Warning: adult language with hint of smut

xxxxx

Annie closed her eyes and began to hum.

Jeff paused in his perusal of her ear lobe and smirked. He then nuzzled her neck, scraping her with his stubble.

"Jeeeff."

"What are you humming?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at his inquisitive face. Their bodies were pressed together, with Jeff doing his best to balance some of his weight on his arms so that he didn't completely crush her into the couch.

She smiled slyly. "Nothing. I'm just content."

"I was kind of going for a little more than content." He pressed another kiss against her neck.

"You know what I mean."

Pulling back a little, he studied her face, his eyes glimmering. "You looked damn sexy in your little retro one piece today at the pool."

She affected a mock pout and lightly swatted him. "You were supposed to be watching Sophie! She was so proud of her first swimming lesson."

"And I was very proud of her, as I told her. But damn, you in that suit. I thought I was looking at a 1950's pinup."

"Is that a compliment or sexist?"

"Both."

She smiled in satisfaction and then said with the hint of a teasing tone, "I think I'm going to take a bubble bath."

He winced and let out a breath. "As much as I've enjoyed planking over you for the past ten minutes, you know I can't fit with you in the bathtub. I was kind of hoping we were going to partake of the sexy times."

She smirked up at him. "Partake of the sexy times? That sounds like a mixture of strangely formal yet juvenile. And we could always _partake_ after my bath."

"Sexy times. Now." He resumed nuzzling her neck just at the spot where he knew she was most ticklish.

She squealed and then quickly hushed herself for fear Sophie would hear. She smacked him once again on the chest as he suppressed his laughter.

"Convince me."

He arched a brow and said, "Well, since I've been accused of being too formal yet juvenile, I'll have to phrase this a different way."

"Okay."

"I want to go down on you."

x

Annie attempted to catch her breath as Jeff kissed his way back up her body. She closed her eyes and suddenly felt herself shivering.

As he rolled himself on his side at the very edge of the couch, he pulled her into his chest.

"Cold or I just rocked your world?"

"Both."

"Seriously, you're cold?"

"I'm naked. You're not."

He smirked and kissed her cheek. "I can fix that. Bedroom? I'm about to fall off this thing."

X

The bedroom was definitely more comfortable, as they had room to spread out on the king sized bed. Annie couldn't imagine what it would be like if they were still in her double bed above Dildopolis. She took a moment to consider how far they'd come.

"Do you realize three years ago we hadn't even met yet?"

He tossed his t-shirt onto the floor and frowned. "Seems like we've known each other longer than that."

She propped herself up on her elbow and watched as he unzipped his jeans and shimmied out of them.

"It does. Sophie wasn't even born yet, but almost, and I was still living with Nancy and Ryan."

He kicked his jeans to the side and sat down on the bed. He looked at her curiously and said, "And I was still living in my condo and quietly freaking out about what a mess my life was."

She reached over and touched his arm. As she began to lightly stroke it, she said, "And do you remember Dildopolis? You used to cram yourself into my tiny bed just because you couldn't stand to be away from us." She looked up and smiled.

He chuckled. "Well, once I had an idea of what was missing in my life, it was kind of painful to let it go, even if it was just for the night."

He cast a surreptitious glance at his bedside table drawer, wondering if Annie had any clue he had in fact bought a ring. His nerves were on high alert since bringing it home. Despite having had the diamond ring for months, it never felt like this. For some reason, having the ring that he knew she'd love, something that he took time in finding and had more clearly thought through made everything that much more real. He hadn't yet decided when he was going to ask her, but he figured he'd at least wait until after Sophie's birthday. He didn't want to steal the kid's thunder, and she deserved all the attention on her.

Plus he may have been more than unreasonably nervous. And quietly panicking. But that wasn't unusual.

Annie tilted her head and responded to his last utterance. "Awww. That is so sweet."

"Yeah, well." He shrugged, a blush forming over his face.

Annie lightly tugged on his arm, and he obeyed, falling into an embrace.

X

Afterward, she traced circles over his chest and studied his face.

"What?"

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah, of course. I love you too."

She frowned. "I'm sorry I've been so weird about everything. I don't want you to think I'm not considering it."

He took a deep breath as he realized what she was alluding to. "And I hope you know I don't need an answer right now. I just wanted you to know what I was thinking. If I don't tell you, then there's never a chance."

"Jeff, I…"

-"There's no crisis. Everything's fine. I merely meant as a future consideration, so you know that it's something I'm very interested in doing. Whatever you guys decide, I'll be okay. Nothing changes."

Annie couldn't help but detect the hint of sadness in his voice. The whole situation seemed profoundly unfair, and she was acutely aware that her own cowardice was prolonging his suffering. But every time she tried to imagine initiating the conversation with Adam, she felt nauseous.

She bit her lip and could only manage to say, "I am thinking about it."

"That's all I can ask."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sophie's third birthday was rapidly approaching, and Annie and Jeff were super excited to throw her a party she would actually remember. She had grown a lot in the past year and had demonstrated on more than one occasion she had an excellent grasp of what was going on around her and had the ever-expanding vocabulary to prove it. And she had been making more actual friends.

And she had more family in her life.

Jeff assumed Annie was going to feel torn about her mother, but to his surprise, she readily agreed to include her and Anthony in the birthday celebrations. She held firm on not letting her mother actually throw the party but readily allowed Pierce to host.

Given that the guest list was fairly lengthy this year, even Jeff didn't object to the celebration being held on the Hawthorne Estate grounds. He was desperately hoping he could find a way to begrudgingly allow Pierce to pay for the whole thing without endangering his soul.

"So, how many of her friends are coming? I know we have the Bennett boys and Dino…"

-"And Henry and Simon from daycare. I didn't want to invite the whole class. Thank god she was born in the summer."

"Right. Any other kids?"

"Sam and Braden."

Jeff looked up sharply from his list.

At his quizzical stare, Annie explained, "I think it's important the kids get together. And Holly needs a distraction. We didn't even get to help her celebrate poor little Braden's first birthday."

Jeff let out a long sigh. "That's fine. But please tell me you didn't invite my aunt and uncle. I don't feel like dealing with them after the Christmas fiasco."

Annie smiled slightly and shook her head. "I wouldn't do that to you. Plus, this party is for Sophie. She doesn't seem to really pay much attention to them, but she really loves Sam. And Holly is a sweetheart. She's family."

He nodded and placed his pen on the table. "I'm glad she's away from the asshole."

"I'm not. I think the whole situation is very sad."

"Sad, but better. She'll get over it."

"Matt has a new girlfriend."

"Goddammit it. See? _Depressed_ my ass."

"I'm hoping he'll still have a relationship with the boys."

She was aware of the sharp intake of air and turned to watch as Jeff's face contorted into a tense expression. He was looking down at the guest list. He picked up his pen and began to angrily stab the edges of the paper.

"You know what? I think it's great you invited the kids."

He looked down at the guest list:

 _Study Group_

 _Pierce (hosting, have to invite him)_

 _Mom_

 _Rachel and Anthony_

 _Nancy and Ryan (unless Nancy pops before then, in which case they are excused)_

 _Ian (unless Britta throws a fit, maybe have her invite him? No that would be worse)_

 _How do we get out of inviting Kevin?_

 _Craig (already knows about it, will show up anyway, Annie says maybe leave room for a plus one?)_

 _Buzz Hickey_

 _Bennett boys (3)_

 _Andre_

 _Thanos, Daniela, and Dino_

 _Henry and Simon from daycare - (parents? Julie?)_

 _Holly, Sam, Brad_

 _Total Kids: 8 plus the munchkin (!)_

Lifting his gaze, he remarked, "I just realized all her friends are boys. Shouldn't we invite some girls?"

Annie shrugged as she reached over to grab an apple from the basket on the table. "I don't see why. She doesn't have any girls at daycare she really plays with these days."

"Is that weird?"

"I don't think it's anything for us to worry about."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Turns out Jeff didn't need to worry too much. Two days before Sophie's birthday party he returned from a jog and found Annie giddy. She explained Ryan had called her with the news that Nancy had gone into labor early and had a little girl. Sophie now had an honorary little sister.

She threw her arms around Jeff's sweaty neck with a squeal, and he held her close for several moments, murmuring his congrats into her ear.

As she pulled out of the embrace, she looked up at him and grinned. "I'm so happy for them."

"They missed their baby shower."

Annie stifled a laugh. "Well we were cutting it a little close anyway."

"But everyone's okay? She's premature."

Annie nodded as she finally placed her phone down on the counter. "She's perfect, just a little underweight. And Nancy's fine, thank god. Ryan says she's ecstatic. He sounded pretty pleased, too."

"Christ, it's weird that just happened."

Annie smiled as she walked over and picked up the now finished green blanket. "I hadn't even wrapped this yet, but I will and then we should go over and see them. Ryan says we can come over this afternoon. We'll make it a quick visit so Sophie isn't too overwhelmed."

"You want to bring her?"

"Of course. Like I said, she's a big sister now. I can't wait to see her meet little Elizabeth."

Jeff placed his hand over the back of his neck and let out a sigh. "A girl."

Still gently folding the blanket, Annie glanced over at him. "Yes. Isn't that great? See, you were all worried Sophie wouldn't have any girls to play with. It's all working out."

"I guess."

She watched his uncertain face curiously. "What is it?"

He shrugged and then stepped into the kitchen to grab a sports drink from the fridge. She followed and stood so that she was facing him as he closed the door and stood back up. He almost jumped when he saw her but appeared to recover his surprise quickly.

She narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

He looked down and unscrewed the bottle and began to drink, she suspected stalling for time. She waited patiently as he slowly finished and then seemed to briefly contemplate another sip before replacing the cap.

"The flower box?" He indicated with his head toward their bedroom.

It took her a moment realize what he meant. With wide eyes, she replied, "I suppose we should let them take a look at it. Elizabeth might need some of those little outfits."

"Yeah, they are pretty little." He affected a tight smile.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He sighed as he placed the bottle on the counter and then let his hands fall to her hips.

"I can ask her to give them back to me when she's done with them."

"That's silly. We may not even need them."

"I'll explain it to her. She already knows... I'm sure she'll understand."

He squinted at her. "You two discuss a lot of things."

"She's been really helpful in making sure I'm staying on track."

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "What does she think?"

"She thinks it's good you didn't let me panic us into anything this spring."

He chuckled.

She added, "But she's pretty supportive of the idea in general, once we're ready."

He stared down at her wide blue eyes and contemplated the overall concept of waiting. He had been waiting on popping the question, mainly out of consideration of Sophie's big day. At least that was what he had been telling himself. He was also aware he had been attempting to think of the perfect way to go about it. Ian had oddly suggested he talk to Britta about how to arrange the proposal, but he hadn't yet managed to gear up the nerve to venture into that discussion.

In this moment, he knew it maybe wasn't the best to over-think things. After all, clearly babies weren't always born on time, but it seemed like things were working out for Nancy and Ryan. He thought back to his nightstand drawer with its precious contents hidden in a small jewelry box under a notebook. It would only take a minute to go and get it.

"Annie, I…"

They were interrupted by the faintscuffing of Ruffles and what they knew was Sophie stirring from her nap. Jeff mentioned something about taking a much-needed shower, but Annie stopped him and yanked him off to Sophie's room.

Once they were sure Sophie was alert, Annie knelt down and gave her the news about Nancy's baby. Sophie smiled broadly and let out a shriek.

"You are going to be such good friends!"

" _Yay! I wanna see baby."_

"We'll go over to meet her today, sweetie. We'll go over and say hi."

Jeff watched as Annie pulled Sophie onto her lap and began to rock her soothingly, smattering her with kisses as Ruffles nudged her way under Annie's elbow.

The bear remained on the bed, the baby doll laid out across its lap.

X

Things were a little chaotic as they left for the hospital later, with making sure Ruffles was walked and then settled, changing Sophie yet again after she spilled jam over her shirt, and wrapping the other present they had gotten for the baby. Jeff didn't register his phone ringing, and they had already closed and locked the apartment door by the time the landline rang.

The message left on the answering machine consisted of an uncharacteristically nervous-sounding Dorie.

"Hello dears. My, I just read Annie's email about the guest list for Sophie's party, and… this is awkward… I'd just like to mention something before the big day. Please call me back, Jeffrey. This is your mother. I love you."

X

Sophie was very pleased to meet Elizabeth. She motioned to hold the baby, but after some tentative looks between Annie and Nancy, it was decided Ryan would carefully place the baby on Sophie's lap, with Annie making sure to cradle the head while Jeff assured Sophie remained still on the couch.

" _Ooooh. Baby is pwetty!"_

"Yes, she is sweetie."

Jeff wasn't sure if he agreed with that assessment, but he wisely bit his tongue. He stared down at the wrinkled blob lying across Sophie's lap, noticing its half-opened dark eyes and small pink knitted cap. He hadn't seen any newborns in person before, and while he was aware this one was a little premature, he was still startled at how un-baby she looked. Sophie had always had a healthy amount of baby fat. At least as far as he had known her.

His chest warmed as Sophie talked to the baby and the baby yawned. Exchanging a look of amusement with Annie, he leaned down and said, "You're really good at this, munchkin. You get to show her lots of things."

" _She little."_

"Yes, she is. And you're big. So you'll have to wait a little bit for her to walk and talk, but you can teach her how to be a big kid."

Sophie smiled with pride as Ryan took a picture.

X

X

X

Before conking out post dinner, Jeff finally listened to his answering machine message and made a mental note to call his mother tomorrow. It didn't sound urgent, just strange. It had been a long day, and ever since they had returned from the hospital, he had been consumed by thoughts about the contents of his nightstand drawer. He had to figure out a way to do this.

He found himself drifting off on the couch.

X

The Darkest Timeline –

"She's perfect."

Jeff looked down once again at the sleeping blob in Annie's arms. His mind was spinning from the events of the previous hours when Annie had woken him up screaming and they had rushed off to the hospital, dropping Sophie off at Troy and Abed's along the way. Things had progressed rapidly from there, with Annie somehow giving birth to their ten pound daughter, narrowly averting a c-section but cursing him out the entire time. The kid had howled loudly once she emerged, and had taken a little while to calm down. Now that Annie and the baby were cleaned up, Jeff had a hard time believing that things hadn't always been his peaceful.

He reached over and took the baby from her. Annie sighed in weariness as she fell back against the pillows and watched him become fascinated with their new edition.

"You're right. She is perfect." He leaned down and placed a kiss on the baby's forehead, which elicited a yawn.

"Oh, I'm boring you already."

Annie smiled. "We should name her."

He glanced up. "I guess."

"What about Sadie?"

"I like it."

x

After Troy and Abed brought Sophie over, everyone was eager to catch the first meeting of the sisters.

Sophie smiled as Jeff placed Sadie on her lap, making sure to hold her head. He watched as Sophie greeted her sister.

" _Hi baby."_

"Her name is Sadie."

" _Hi Tay-dee. I Fee."_

The baby opened her eyes fully and immediately fixed them on Sophie. While Jeff had been told newborns couldn't see very far at all, he could have sworn she was actually looking at Sophie's eyes. There was an intenseness he had never witnessed before outside of criminal trials.

He unexpectedly felt a swell of pride.

The baby then began screaming. A startled Sophie quickly relinquished her to him, and after a brief moment, she quieted down in his arms. He looked over at Sophie, who was sitting on Troy's lap, her lip quivering.

" _I not like baby."_

Annie shot her a glare. "That's not very nice, sweetie. She's your baby sister."

" _I don't wan baby. I wan mama und daddy."_

Annie motioned for the baby, and Jeff handed her over. She smiled down at her and said, "Sadie Winger, you are the sweetest. We love you so much. And your big sister will love you too."

Sophie Edison sniffed and then buried her faced into Troy's chest. Abed reached over and patted her on the back. He and Troy nodded to each other with an understanding that didn't need to be spoken.


	7. Covert Missions

**Chapter 7: Covert Missions**

Summary: More than one person has a secret

Annie twirled around the kitchen, humming to herself as she mixed the pancake batter. She knew she was perhaps being a little silly, but she was feeling relatively carefree at the present moment, it being summer without the pressures of homework or studying, and having the Friday off of work so that she had plenty of time to get things ready for Sophie's birthday party tomorrow. She smiled as she recalled Dean Pelton's understanding about her needing the time, and despite Jeff's protests, she felt justified in inviting him to the party. He really was a sweet person and she was hoping Jeff would someday be able to acknowledge that fully.

She was glad also that Jeff wasn't working today, as it would just make things that much easier. All three of them would go see Lauren in the morning of course, but then he had already planned to keep Sophie busy that afternoon while she took care of some last minute details and Skyped with her father.

She paused in her mixing efforts as she began to envision how the call might go, in all of its awkwardness. She was barely aware of the way she had begun stabbing the batter.

" _Mama, take it easy."_

She abruptly turned toward Sophie, who was sitting in a booster seat at the counter. She had been scribbling away in her coloring book while Annie was making breakfast, satisfied with a few banana slices to tide her over. Annie stared at her incredulously as she slowly placed the bowl down. She stepped toward her.

"Sweetie, what did you just say to me?"

Without looking up from her coloring, Sophie replied, _"Take it easy, Mama."_

Annie laughed. "What does that mean?"

Sophie lifted her head and made eye contact with Annie. Her little blue eyes twinkling, she said, _"You up….set. Take it easy. Like Swek."_

Sophie then nodded as if this was the most obvious statement in the world and resumed her activities. Annie raised her brows and placed a hand near her mouth in befuddlement as she continued to watch her daughter. She was still holding this position when Jeff swooped around the corner, fresh from his shower and smelling like pine. Although the sight of his naked chest may have briefly distracted her - images came to mind from last night after she had yanked him off the couch and into the bedroom - she shook herself back to the present moment.

As Jeff leaned over to smack a kiss on Sophie's head, his eyes went to Annie's, and he paused.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, still staring at Sophie in thought. Jeff frowned but then went ahead with his kiss.

"Our daughter told me to _take it easy_."

He looked up with a quizzical stare.

Annie nodded, a baffled smirk on her face. "She did. She said I was upset and should be like _Swek_. What on earth is she talking about?"

Perking up her ears, Sophie fixed her gaze on Jeff. With a frustrated grunt and emphatic gesticulation, she explained, _"Like Swek. We watch Swek, Daddy. Und Swek take it easy. Und he geen und he hab don-key."_ After a brief pause she added, _"Und I dwaw dis for baby."_ She then nodded to herself and looked down once more to resume her scribbles.

Annie cast Jeff a judgmental look and watched as he shirked slightly, carefully maneuvering himself around her so that he could grab a box of Cheerios from the cabinet above her head.

She steeled herself, resisting being distracted by his torso grazing against her. "We're having pancakes. No cereal today."

"Oh, um." He paused for a moment before turning away from her and opening the fridge.

"Jeff."

"Hm?"

"Did you let her watch Shrek?"

He stood and closed the door, pivoting back so that he was leaning against the fridge. At her intense gaze, he let out a sigh.

"Yes, I did." He looked up to study the ceiling.

Annie placed her hand on her hip and paused, slightly irritated that he seemed to be falling into avoidance mode. She usually observed this when he was around his mother, and the fact that he was doing it with her was unnerving.

"So you just let her watch movies all day?"

He resumed looking at her but she could have sworn she detected an implied eye roll in his tone.

"No, of course not. But she really wanted to watch it, and I thought it would be okay for her to see something like that every once in awhile. I don't just plop her down all day in front of the tv. You know that. But sometimes it's just easier to keep her happy for a little while so I can quickly get something done."

She squinted at him briefly but then softened her gaze. She glanced over at Sophie who was singing to herself while continuing to color and then turned back to Jeff. She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry. That was unfair of me."

"Yeah, well. It's okay."

Against perhaps her better judgment, she couldn't resist asking, "Is that an appropriate movie for her, though?"

He groaned as pulled out the coffee maker.

She took a step toward him and persisted, "I just want to know."

While scooping the grounds into the filter, he replied testily, "I did my research. I even asked Britta, and she said she thought it was fine. Or _fyne_ , actually."

Annie tilted her head and stepped closer. "You asked Britta?"

Intent on his work with the coffee, he replied, "Yeah. She may be full of nonsense most of the time, but if you dig deep enough, there's usually a kernel of truth and dare I say wisdom in there somewhere. And she'd been ranting about kids' movies so I got her on the topic of the green ogre."

" _Swek is geen. He an o-gar."_

Jeff glanced over at Sophie and smirked. "That's right, munchkin. And he was funny, right?"

" _Yah. He sooo funny. Mama, he so funny. I lub him so much."_

Jeff chuckled and exchanged a knowing look with Annie.

"That's nice, sweetie."

" _Baby watch Swek wid me?"_

"No, sweetie. Baby Elizabeth is too little to watch tv."

" _Oh."_

At Sophie's mild dejection, Annie silently mouthed an apology to Jeff, who responded with a quick kiss before pressing start on the coffee maker and dashing back toward the bedroom.

X

As he faced his wardrobe options in the closet, he counted himself lucky Annie hadn't been too inquisitive about why he had been talking to Britta. Of course, it was all completely innocent; he hadn't yet gotten up the nerve to broach the subject of the proposal anyway, so there was nothing to cover up. He had attempted to follow Ian's advice and get Britta's thoughts, but after managing to bring up the fact that Annie liked purple he had been thrown off by Britta's unsolicited exclamations about the assumed gender of colors and had chickened out. He had safely maneuvered the conversation into asking for advice about movie choices for Sophie, and that was that.

He knew he'd try again though. It was simple; ask Britta what Annie would want. Despite her protests about weddings and proposals and such, he knew Britta Perry possessed an uncanny ability to put together the perfect setting. He'd have to swear her to secrecy of course and perhaps bribe her in some way, but he was hoping that part of her would be eager to help him give Annie the perfect day.

He heard his phone beep once again and glanced at the text from his mother. Raising his brows in surprise, he began to text back, knowing that if his mother was stooping to admitting she in fact knew how to text, it must be important.

About a minute later, he picked up the phone and cradled it near his shoulder as he perused his button-down tops. He wanted to pick a good shade of blue to compliment Sophie's overalls so that they had a nice haircut picture.

"Oh, I'm so glad we finally have a chance to talk, dear. I was worried when you didn't return my call yesterday."

"Mom, I'm sorry. Things were a little crazy. I didn't even remember you had called until I was almost passed out on the couch, and then I figured it was too late."

"Everything okay, dear?"

He continued to scan his shirts, selecting one and frowning before putting it back.

"Yeah. It was just one of those days. But what about you? It didn't sound like an emergency, and we'll see you tomorrow at the party, right? You are still coming or is that what you wanted to talk about?"

There was a pause on the other end.

"Mom?"

"Of course I'm coming, dear. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm very happy you've included me this year when you celebrate with your friends."

"Then what's the problem?"

He detected another slight pause, frowning as he waited.

"Annie may have mentioned I volunteered to work on party favors. She sent me the guest list a couple weeks ago, but I merely skimmed it for the count and didn't really look at it until yesterday. I wanted to double check the number of children and ages, and although I remembered from my conversation with Annie, I don't always trust my memory, so I…"

-"Mom, I have to get the munchkin to a haircut. Can we please speed this up?"

He lifted a shirt and smiled to himself in satisfaction.

There was a mild huff on the other end. "Sorry, dear. The list. Am I to understand there will be a number of adults in attendance? Annie's mother, some of the Greendale faculty…"

-"Yes. And I'm sorry if it's awkward with Rachel, but Annie really wants her there and I was counting on Nancy to run interference between the two of you, but she unexpectedly had her baby yesterday, so unfortunately she can't be a buffer."

He began to unbutton the shirt to free it from the hanger as he added, "My advice would be to disengage yourself from her as much as possible and push her off on Pierce. He's the one hosting, and I'll be sure to point him out. If that fails, enlist Ian. He can probably use her for a case study on some sort of personality disorder."

"What's this about Nancy having her baby? Is everyone okay?"

He replaced the hanger and began an attempt to pull on the shirt while still cradling the phone. He explained, "Yeah. She had a little girl. Everyone's good, baby's small but fine. Sophie had lots to say after meeting her. She's very excited."

"Oh, that's good news. Although I'm disappointed I won't get to meet Nancy and her husband, please give them my congratulations."

"Will do."

There was an ever-so-slight shift in tone as she said, "But about the list. Really, this is most awkward and I probably should have mentioned this before, but I just want you to be aware that I've met one of your Greendale guests. Ian introduced us a little while ago, and I didn't think to mention it, as I didn't think you two even knew each other. And while he may be a bit strange…"

-"Christ. You met the Dean? Why on earth would Ian subject you to that? And why in hell is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"Not the Dean, dear. Buzz."

X

Annie didn't know what had come over Jeff. He had emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a dark blue button down and the jeans he had been wearing earlier, but his hair was slightly askew and he looked preoccupied. She watched him with curiosity as he sat down to the breakfast table and proceeded to tuck in Sophie's bib.

"I'm sorry if I was being crazy, Jeff. It's fine if you had her watch a movie."

He shrugged, but the perplexed expression on his face remained as he began to cut up Sophie's pancake into bite-sized pieces.

She took a deep breath and pressed on, "I didn't mean to undermine your ability to make decisions with her. We're a team, and I trust your judgment. I think I was just worried about talking to my dad this afternoon. Again, I'm sorry."

He looked up and smiled slightly at her, his eyes softening. "I get it. I'm not upset about that."

"Then what's wrong?"

He let out a long sigh and stared up at the ceiling. She waited for him to respond, making sure Sophie had her sippy cup by her side so that he had plenty of time to think. She wasn't sure what he was going to say, but it disturbed her that he seemed very serious all of a sudden.

Finally, he met her gaze.

"I just talked to my mom. Apparently, and I have no idea what this means, but she knows Buzz Hickey. She wanted us to know before they _met_ at the party tomorrow."

Annie eyes widened in disbelief.

He nodded, pursing his lips slightly as he scooped a pancake onto his plate.

"You aren't serious."

"Oh, I am. She told me Ian introduced them a little while ago, and she considers him a friend."

"A friend?" Annie arched a brow, a rising urgency to know more bubbling inside her.

He grimaced. "She insists Ian made the introduction under the guise that Professor Hickey is _handy_ and my mom needed some painting and repairs done around her house. So she hired him to do some work."

They stared at each other in knowing silence for several moments, during which Jeff's work on Sophie's pancakes was forgotten. Sophie frowned in annoyance and waited for him to turn back on.

Finally, Annie managed with a slight tremble, "She would have told us if she had a boyfriend."

He winced and shook his head. "Maybe, but she doesn't like to talk to me about stuff like that. And frankly, I don't really want to know."

Annie tilted her head in thought.

Sophie looked back and forth between them and frowned once again. She then reached out and touched Jeff's hand, and he roused and to her relief resumed cutting up the pancakes.

Jeff added, "She says she already talked to Professor Hickey, and he was thinking about not coming to the party. She said he told you 'maybe'. You told me he was a 'yes'."

Annie sighed, still attempting to take all of the information in. "You know how he is. I figured a 'maybe' was as close as I was going to get to a 'yes'." She paused for a moment and then added, "But you know, this now explains why he was so strange about it. He seemed uncomfortable."

Jeff finished cutting up the pancakes and placed the knife down near his plate. He handed a purple plastic fork to a gleeful Sophie.

"Well, he is your professor."

"Not anymore. I took his class last semester. I just like to talk to him about career guidance. And he's wonderful with Sophie."

Jeff picked up his cup of coffee and took a long sip, appearing to think something through. Finally, he said, "He didn't tell you about my mom. Why is that?"

Annie shrugged. As she was about to scoop a pancake onto her plate, she stilled and said abruptly, "I invited him a couple weeks ago, so it's really odd that your mom had to find out from my list, isn't it? He must not have told her."

She looked over at Jeff and waited for his reaction.

He frowned and took another sip of coffee. "Hmmm… maybe he mentions it to her only after she pounces on him about it. But yes, something doesn't add up."

Realizing their endless pondering was fruitless, she said, "We can't really speculate. "We just need to talk to both of them about it."

"Christ."

Widening her eyes, she explained, "If they didn't tell us, there must be a good reason. They're both good people."

Jeff studied his pancakes for a few moments. "The only reason I can think of why neither one of them said anything to us is because something was going on between them and they broke up. And this would explain his reaction to seeing me that day at the yam trial. He told me later I now felt _real_ to him. God, I'm so stupid."

"No! I can't believe that they were dating!"

"Why can't you believe it?"

"Because they're like my surrogate parents."

He cocked his head, watching as her shocked face turned a bright shade of dark pink.

"Oh my god. They're my surrogate parents."

"It's good you finally admitted that."

Before Annie could collect herself enough to respond, Sophie swallowed a big piece of pancake and declared, _"Buzz buzz! Hee-keey! Like bub-bub-bee. But nooo bub-bub-bee is bee bee! Und gamma! I miss gamma! I wanna go see her!"_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Conversations had stalled as they hauled Sophie off to her haircut, both simmering in their respective thoughts about the _parents_ situation. Jeff reflected on the fact that he and his mother had an implicit understanding through the years that they did not inquire into each other's respective love lives. On one occasion he had broached the subject, but she had steadfastly assured him that she had no interest in getting remarried or having a steady boyfriend. She had maintained she was happy on her own. But he always _knew_. She dated. He never met any of them, but still.

Buzz Hickey?

He couldn't picture it at all. The gruffness, the strangeness, the not-so-subtle allusions to him being capable of inflicting great damage.

He tensed and was almost startled to feel Annie's hand on his thigh. He turned to see her smiling nervously at him as they awaited Lauren, Sophie nearby twirling herself in circles while singing something about a donkey.

As Annie studied his face, she said softly, "Everything will be okay. We'll get to the bottom of this."

His leg subtly shifted, and she was also aware that his facial muscles tightened. They tended to do that when he began agonizing over something. She braced herself for a potential few hours of him drifting in and out.

"Is he dangerous?"

Annie raised her brows. "Who? Professor Hickey?"

"Yes. I've heard rumors he makes reference to methods of torture. And something about being in the war."

Jeff stared off at Sophie, but Annie was pretty sure he wasn't really looking at her. His mind was elsewhere.

She sighed. "He's not serious when he says those things."

Continuing his far off gaze, Jeff said in a lower voice, "He used to be a police detective. He probably knows how to injure people."

She turned even more toward him and grabbed his hand. With pleading eyes, she said, "He would never hurt anyone."

He resumed eye contact with her, his expression serious as he lowered his voice to an almost whisper, "How do you know?"

She whispered back, "Well, I am sure if he ever did, he had a very good reason. But what I mean is I don't believe for a moment he would hurt me, Sophie, or your mother."

"I can't have her around someone who will hurt her."

"He's not your father."

"That's right. He's not. And I have some things I'm going to say to my mom about that."

"Jeff."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day they arrived early to the Hawthorne Estate and settled in to arranging things for the party while Sophie hung out with Anthony in the backyard. Annie had insisted that Anthony come separately from their mother so that Sophie could have some alone time with him. Rachel had bristled a little at this but then agreed to the arraignment.

As Annie peaked out the back kitchen window to watch Sophie and her brother outline pictures with colored chalk on the backyard concrete path, she mused how perfect the day was. It was Sophie's third birthday, and she and Jeff and woken Sophie up that morning with birthday greetings and special Mickey Mouse pancakes with lots of syrup. Almost all of her loved ones would be together today to help celebrate. Jeff was setting up streamers, Pierce and surprisingly Gilbert were hauling cases of soda and beer from the back freezer, and Britta had arrived early with the cake, fresh from a bakery Shirley had recommended.

She turned from washing her hands at the sink and smiled at Britta, who was in the middle of tweaking one of Annie's origami lions. She giggled as she observed Britta frown and then transform the paper creature into something more resembling an animal.

Britta looked up. "What?"

"You're really good at stuff like this."

"Stuff?"

"Party planning."

Britta scowled as she grabbed another wilted origami creature. "Yeah, well, as we've discussed, it's an unfortunate curse."

"Thank you." Annie continued to smile over at Britta, waiting for her to look up.

When she did, Britta softened her expression with a shrug.

"I just want her to have a great birthday."

"Awww…"

Jeff rounded the corner, a roll of streamers wound over his right arm. At the sight of Britta, he appeared slightly flustered and then seemed to recover as he said in a nonchalant tone, "Hey there, I can take that cake and put it in on the side table over there." He cocked his head toward the back room.

Britta shrugged. "I want it on the record that before Jeff Winger touched it, it was in perfect condition."

"Oh, duly noted. But, err, would you mind helping me? I really don't want to drop it."

Annie stepped over and said, "I can help you. Britta did so much in bringing it over here."

He shook his head and shooed her away. "No, um, Britta can help me. Let's not undermine her self-confidence."

Annie furrowed her brow but watched as they proceeded to each grab an end of the cake and carry it out of the room.

As they placed the cake in its designated spot, he said in a hushed voice, "Hey, could we grab coffee sometime this week? I wanted to run something by you to get ideas about something."

Her curiosity aroused, Britta squinted at him. "Run what by me?"

He cast a glance back at the kitchen and then said, "I'll explain later. But this has to be a secret; just you and me, and please don't mention anything to Annie."

She opened her mouth to speak but then stopped as they heard squeals and Anthony chased Sophie into the room, Ruffles on his heals. Britta bent down and scooped Ruffles up as Sophie buried her face into Jeff's legs. Anthony came to a halt at the sight of Jeff and instantly stopped laughing.

Britta nuzzled the dog. "You brought Ruffles here?"

Jeff patted Sophie on the head. "Yeah, well, Pierce said she could hang out in the fenced in area back there."

Anthony stood awkwardly to the side. Appearing to briefly look at Jeff, he then stepped closer to Britta and regarded the dog as he said, "Sorry, she kept barking so I let her out."

" _I lub you, Daddy. I lub you so much. I lub you more dan Swek. Bud I lub Swek a lot."_

Jeff hunched down and hoisted Sophie up to his side. He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too, munchkin. Happy Birthday."

" _Yay!"_

"How old are you?"

" _I Fee."_

He smirked at her and then cast Britta and Anthony a knowing look.

"How _old_ are you? Remember, we practiced this."

Sophie appeared to think for a moment on this, and then her eyes widening in realization, she responded, _"I twee."_

"Good job." Jeff smiled smugly and gave her another kiss on the cheek, which elicited giggles.

At that moment, Annie padded into the room, aww-ing at the sight of Sophie in Jeff's arms. She walked over to them, and Jeff instantly placed his free arm around her shoulder, pulling her in. Annie made an exaggerated excited face to Sophie, who responded in kind.

Britta watched the interplay and then looked back at Ruffles in her arms. With a resigned sigh, she walked over and handed her to Annie. She then stepped back and nodded, an unreadable expression on her face.

"You guys are sickeningly cute with your dog and kid."

"Awww, thanks, Britta."

Jeff pulled Annie and Ruffles in a little closer, feeling the warmth arise in his chest. It was moments like these, when everything seemed just right, that he felt the unfamiliar sense of being at peace. Britta was right. They were sickeningly cute.

He remarked, "We do our best. It takes practice, doesn't it, munchkin?"

" _I twee."_

He chuckled and gave her another kiss, his gaze then falling on Anthony, who remained next to Britta. The kid's eyes were on Annie, and he looked like he was going to either punch someone or cry. Suddenly, Anthony's eyes met his, and the expression changed.

Yup, definitely punch someone.

It was then they heard the sound of Elijah and Jordan stomping from the front hallway, shouting something about who was going to get the most cake.

Annie smiled broadly as she exclaimed, "The party's about to get started!"


	8. Family Fun

**Chapter 8: Family Fun**

Summary: Sophie celebrates her third birthday with her loved ones

Sophie was very pleased with all of the people who kept coming. Although her parents had told her she would see all the people, it was so much fun to spot each one of them as they entered the backyard. The first to arrive were Jordan and Elijah, and they were always so silly and had the best squirt toys. And they were really big kids so they could reach things she couldn't and get her more potato chips. They brought their parents too, Auntie Shirley and Uncle Andre. But she was really excited that they brought their baby brother. He was the cutest, and she was hoping Daddy would let her take him home so he could meet Ruthie.

Uncle Abed and Uncle Troy showed up next. They crawled around toward the back of the house and surprised her. She almost wet her pants, which would not have been good, as she was now a big girl. She was really glad they stopped tickling her before she had an accident. But then she wanted them to tickle her some more.

Then Grandma came. She was really excited to see Grandma. She loved Grandma's smell and the way she pet her hair when she was tired and needed to be held on her lap. And Grandma's voice was almost like music. She ran over and gave Grandma a hug and let her pick her up and squeeze her for a little while. And she made sure to tell Grandma she loved her.

Grandma put her down when Daddy and Mama came outside. Daddy wasn't happy with Grandma, but that was probably because of the Bumblebee Man. She liked the Bumblebee. He was so funny and he made funny noises. And he always gave her a present when she saw him. She was hoping he'd give her another drawing of the duck.

She was happy when Bubbe came. She used to think Bubbe was a bee, but now she didn't think so. Bubbe was always red and bees were yellow. Bubbe was so funny when she walked onto the grass in her high red shoes. She almost fell into the grass. Silly Bubbe. She made sure to give Bubbe a kiss. Mama was a little sad to see Bubbe. She wanted Mama to be happy.

Grandpa Peas was pretty silly when he started talking to Bubbe and Grandma. They were talking to each other and Grandpa Peas put both his arms around their shoulders. He laughed, so it must have been funny. But Bubbe and Grandma didn't seem to like it. Good thing Daddy made Grandpa Peas stop it.

Ian gave her a cool rock and asked her where Britta was. She knew Britta would like to see him. Britta pretended she didn't like him but she thought he was funny. Ian liked Britta too. She bet he got her lots of cool rocks. He also brought silly Kevin. But Kevin's daddy wouldn't let him play with her. He told Kevin he needed to set up the chairs. She was sad for Kevin and hoped he could play later.

Uncle Craig brought a friend! Yay! He said hi to her and then wanted to get a drink. She tried to offer him her sippy cup but he said no. She hoped Uncle Craig got her more stickers. He had the best stickers. She liked the doggies ones the best.

Where was Ruffles? Oh, there! She was wagging her tail! She was so cute when she did that. Oh, Dino was here! And Dino brought his mama and daddy, too! Dino was the best. He liked bugs and butterflies too. And he was really good on the slide. He was a little bigger than her and could do the coolest things.

Sam! Sam was here! He was super-cool! And he brought his baby. Yay! She wanted to take all the babies home with her. She had plenty of space in her room. Ruffles liked it in there too. She bet Ruffles would like more babies. Oh, and Sam brought his mama. He had a nice mama.

And Henry and Simon! Yay! They brought their mamas! No daddies. That's okay. But she would miss Daddy if he weren't here. Where is Daddy? Oh, there he was! He was talking to Bumblebee.

Bumblebee was here! Yay! And Daddy was talking to Bumblebee and Grandma!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff knew better than to make a scene at Sophie's birthday party. Although Annie kept telling him to leave it alone today, he couldn't help himself in at least letting them both know he was taking this seriously. He would find out exactly what was going on, and he would make sure his mother was safe.

Although he trusted her in many ways, he told himself he had every right to be skeptical when it came to her judgment of men. William Winger was proof of that. Not that he blamed her for what happened, but he knew once a woman was treated that way they sometimes were likely to accept such treatment in the future. No, he needed to sort this out.

He kept his eyes on Hickey, who was shifting his own around as he mumbled a question about where to place his gift.

Dorie cleared her throat and took the oddly shaped and rather large present from him, smiling a little too brightly as she allowed Abed to help her take it into the house.

Jeff handed Hickey a beer. Hickey let out a low grunt, which sounded a variation on surprised, and accepted it. They clinked bottles and both took a long sip.

"Good you could make it."

"Thanks for the invitation." Hickey began to scan the yard, his face becoming much more animated as Sophie came barreling toward them.

" _Buzz buzz! Yay!"_

Jeff watched in complete astonishment as Hickey crouched down and gave her a hug.

"Good to see you, kid. Happy birthday."

Sophie smiled up at him. _"We eat cake. Tit-ta show-ed me."_

"Well I'll be. I didn't know we'd get _cake_. That's one of my favorite foods. Do you like cake?"

" _Yah. Und id my birth-day. I get pwesents."_

"Now that's crazy. You mean you get cake _and_ presents?"

" _Yah!"_

"Well then this must be the best day ever."

" _It IS. Und my fwiends here too. Come on."_

Sophie began to yank on Hickey's hand. As she did so, Dorie took a step forward from where she had been standing behind Jeff, having snuck up to watch the proceedings before she ventured back into awkward conversation with her son.

"Now Sophie, I need to talk to Buzz. Would you please let me borrow him for just a few minutes? Is that okay?"

Looking momentarily disappointed, Sophie quickly recovered and nodded. _"Okay, Gamma."_

"Thank you, dear. Maybe you could ask Uncle Anthony to play with you and your friends. He looks a little sad over there all by himself."

" _Oh, no! Un-cle An-to-ny! He sad. I go help."_

With that, Sophie swiftly turned and took off.

Hickey chuckled as he pushed back up to a standing position, Dorie stepping over to him and taking his arm to help him back up. Jeff watched this action with a rising irritation in his throat. It also didn't escape him that his mother smiled slightly at Hickey as they shared a brief moment of eye contact.

Jeff cleared his throat as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So, how about we just get this all out of the way? I understand you two are already acquainted."

As Dorie let her arm drop to her side, she turned and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Yes, dear. As I explained to you the other day, Buzz here helped me with some projects."

"Projects?"

"Yes, painting and some household repairs. He's very skilled."

"Is he?"

Jeff turned his eyes on Hickey, who was staring right back, an unreadable expression on his face. Jeff had to give him that. He made a mental note to never play poker with him. He knew Ian did, which might explain why Ian was always short on funds.

Dorie detected the snarky tone in her son's voice and reached over and placed her hand on his arm.

"Let's have a nice time."

Hickey groaned and shifted his weight. "Your mother and I are just friends. There ain't no funny business."

"Buzz. Leave it alone." Dorie gave him a glare.

Buzz let a corner of his mouth curve upward for a brief moment. "That's what he meant, and he should really come out and just say it if that's what he thinks." He turned back to Jeff and added, "If you want to know if your mother and I are going steady, you could ask her. She's a classy lady, and I don't think she appreciates her son talking to her like that."

"Buzz!"

Jeff found himself nodding, the blood pulsing through his veins. "Oh really? You're telling me how to talk to my own mother? You have no idea what our relationship is like. She knows I'm not disrespecting her. I'm merely trying to sort out the facts since you both seem to have been disrespecting _me_."

"Now dear, that's not what happened."

Keeping his eyes on Hickey, Jeff pressed on, "Isn't it? You both kept this from me. And it makes no sense unless there's something to keep a secret. So excuse me if I don't buy the _friends_ crap."

"Jeffrey!"

At that moment, Annie nudged her way into the little circle, Ben in her arms. With a bright smile, she said, "Hi Professor Hickey! It's so great you could make it!"

Jeff watched as Hickey turned toward Annie and crinkled up half his mouth in what Jeff assumed was an effort at some sort of smile.

"Hello Miss Edison. I couldn't pass up a three year old's birthday party. Sophie told me there's cake."

Annie chuckled as she glanced back at Sophie squealing with glee as she ran in circles around Anthony, Sam and Dino in pursuit. She turned back and hoisted Ben a little higher. She then averted her eyes in the guise of attending to Ben as she said with a nervous laugh, "We just found out you and Dorie know each other."

"You are correct."

"Annie, dear, as I explained to Jeffrey, we didn't think to mention it. Buzz helped me with some projects around my home, but we haven't seen each other in some time now, so it didn't seem relevant."

Jeff caught Annie's eye and hoped he nonverbally conveyed his _a-ha_ reaction. He noticed with intense interest a flash of irritation from her before she swiftly turned her attentions on Dorie and Hickey.

Affecting a light tone, she asked, "Will it be a problem? You two being here? Seeing each other again?"

Dorie and Buzz exchanged awkward looks. Jeff attempted to decipher the meaning but remained steadfast in his assumption that they had dated and broken up. It was the only explanation that made any sense. He smiled tightly as he and Annie awaited their response. In the meantime, he decided to make a face at Ben, which promptly elicited a long string of drool.

Dorie sighed at Annie's words. "Of course. Why would there be any problem? I consider Buzz a friend."

Jeff noticed an almost imperceptible grunt under Hickey's breath. He began to strongly suspect that it was his mother who had ended things. Not that he should be surprised, he told himself, as his mom was awesome.

And Hickey was, well, Hickey.

Hickey shrugged in response. "Yeah, we're friends. No problems here."

Annie smiled with relief. "Oh good. I'm so happy you're friends."

"I suppose, given the circumstances, you should call me Buzz."

Annie's eyes widened. Jeff noticed his mother had stepped over and began to coo at baby Ben.

Annie squeaked, "Oh! Really? Yes, of course."

"Great."

"May I call you Buzz, too?"

Hickey squinted at him. "Of course, Mr. Winger."

"Then let's drop all these formalities, shall we? Call me Jeff. And this is Annie."

He wrapped his arm around Annie's shoulders.

Sophie picked that moment to bound up to all of them and squeal her hellos to Dorie and Buzz once again. As they both smiled and leaned down, hands on their respective knees, Sophie exclaimed with a volume that Jeff would normally be incredibly self-conscious of,

" _Gamma und Buzz Buzz! Buzz Buzz id Gamma's boy-fend! Kissy kissy!"_

A mortified Dorie and Buzz looked up at Jeff and Annie.

Annie was blushing furiously as she made frantic efforts to gently correct Sophie.

Jeff smiled smugly at his mother.

X

X

X

Several minutes later, Dorie cornered Jeff in the kitchen as he grabbed a six-pack of beer from the fridge.

"You're being ridiculous."

He turned around to face her and kicked the door shut behind him. As he placed the pack on the counter, he replied, "Am I?"

She stepped closer to him and lifted her head to make eye contact. "I already apologized for not telling you we were acquainted. But to insinuate that we _lied_ to you. Well, that is absurd. You know I would never lie to you, Jeffrey."

Jeff felt his stomach begin to twist into a knot.

"You're not telling me everything."

"Fine, you want to know what happened? He wanted to date me."

At the beginning of Jeff's smirk, Dorie lightly swatted him on the chest. Jeff made a mental note to block that brief moment from memory.

"I turned him down."

He regarded her with a squint. "You did?"

"Yes, Jeffrey." At his confused expression she added, "He's the marrying kind."

"And that means…?"

With a heavy sigh, she explained, "Buzz is a widower, and he's also been divorced. That nice man needs to have someone he can come home to. And I'll never marry again. It was only fair to him to let him go."

Jeff took a moment to absorb this information. He then nodded slowly. "Did you make him a plate of leftovers?"

"Hm?"

"At Christmas. You took someone a plate outside."

She sighed. "Yes, dear."

"Why didn't you invite him in?"

"Because I didn't want to lead him on."

"Getting him leftovers isn't leading him on?"

"He was lonely. He doesn't cook very well and he enjoys the food I make."

At Jeff's grimace, she added with an eye roll, "I made him a few meals when he helped me with the projects. He refused payment."

"Ummm."

She shook her head. "I don't know what else to tell you."

He began to slowly nod again. "Did he make the shelves?"

"Yes, dear."

"Crap."

"I didn't tell him why."

"Does he know?"

"Not really."

"Oh."

X

X

X

Annie watched from her spot next to her own mother as Jeff and Dorie emerged from the house, Dorie's arm wrapped around Jeff's waist, her head ducked with a small smile. Jeff appeared to be affecting one of his 'I don't cry' faces, which Annie was all too familiar with at this point. Her heart warmed at the sight.

Rachel followed her gaze. "Dorie seems pleasant. We spoke earlier for a few minutes before that dreadful man tried to assault us."

Annie turned back to her with an alarmed look. "Assault?"

"Yes, sweetie. He's very _handsy_. I don't like him."

"Who?"

"That awful old man with the _hands_." She indicated with her head toward the side of the house where Pierce was talking with Gilbert while oblivious to Troy's attempts to place a 'kick-me' sign on his back as Jordan and Elijah snickered from the shrubbery. Kevin peeked out from between them but then disappeared from view.

Annie frowned. "That's Pierce. He's a member of our study group and he's hosting this party."

Rachel waived a hand to the side. "Oh, he made sure to tell me that. He explained this was his mansion. Please, like Dorie and I would be impressed with _that_."

Annie smiled slightly as she placed Ben in a standing position. He quickly grabbed onto her chair and squealed.

"So you do like Dorie?" She tried to hide the hopefulness in her tone.

Rachel sighed as she began to fan herself with a napkin. "Well, I hardly know her, sweetie. All I meant was she clearly wouldn't be the type to be impressed by money. She told me she has thousands of animals. In the _house_."

Annie took a deep breath and waited.

Rachel added, "People like her are more basic, aren't they? They like the simpler things in life."

Annie kept her eyes on Ben as her mother continued, oblivious to the fact that her daughter was not agreeing with her not-so-subtle dig at Dorie.

"And of course _I_ wouldn't be impressed by this place. I'm a self-sufficient woman."

"I know, Mom."

"I don't even care how many settings his hot tub has. And believe me, he told me."

"Mom, can we please…"

Rachel suddenly lurched back and stared at a drooling Ben.

"Oh my god, whose baby is that? Where did it come from?"

"I've had him here the entire time we've been speaking. This is Ben. He's Shirley's baby."

X

X

X

Jeff bent down. "Can you show me what you guys are doing?"

Sophie giggled as she peered up from under the pink baseball cap Annie insisted she wear while out in the sun. _"Yah, Daddy. We go poke A-bed und den we go-ed see da Dean. He go-ed ged Stee-ban und den we all fall down! Id so funny!"_

Jeff regarded her for a moment, fully taking in her intense enthusiasm for what he assumed was a pretty stupid game.

Ah, childhood. He wished he had been that carefree. He ignored the pit that instantly formed in his stomach and refocused on the glistening of Sophie's blue eyes from behind her candy cane striped glasses.

He attempted to clarify what she had said. "So Uncle Abed and the Dean and Stephen…" he glanced over at Stephen Spreck, who was sipping a discreet beverage from a plastic cup and talking animatedly with the Dean. He internally shook his head at his obliviousness up until now and then looked back at Sophie.

At that moment, Sam and Dino charged up to him, both slamming their little bodies into his side.

" _Uncle Jeff! I missed you so much!"_

" _Sophie's daddy! Hi!"_

Jeff startled but then quickly wrapped both the boys into a hug. Although he was unsurprised at Dino's enthusiasm – he wondered if Thanos has put him up to it – he was taken aback by Sam's continued squeezes, even as Dino quickly disengaged and began to talk to Sophie. He found himself placing a kiss on Sam's head and holding him a little closer.

"It's okay, buddy. I missed you too."

Holly, a toddling Braden by her side, joined them and bent down and attempted to coax Sam away from Jeff.

"Come here, Sammy."

" _No."_

"Now Sam…"

Jeff smiled sadly at her. "It's okay."

He continued to hold Sam, allowing the kid to burrow into his chest.

X

X

X

Annie hovered nearby as she heard Dorie and her mother exchange more pleasantries near the refreshment table. She wasn't surprised that Dorie kept her responses cool and noncommittal, vaguely indulging Rachel as she prattled on about the state of potential germs from the dirt near the lawn.

It was then that Shirley leaned toward her and, ignoring Annie's attempts to hand Ben back to her, insisted on introductions. With a tight smile, Annie brought her over to them and made sure everyone was acquainted.

Following a thinly veiled judgmental introduction with Rachel, Shirley beamed as she shook Dorie's hand perhaps a little too eagerly. "So you're the infamous Dor-ie Win-ger. It's so nice to _finally_ meet you."

Dore smiled politely but appeared slightly taken aback by the intensity of Shirley's handshake. "And it's so good to meet you, Shirley. Annie and Jeffrey have told me so much about you. And Sophie introduced me to your lovely children."

Shirley's eye caught Andre sneaking around to the punch. She motioned toward him. "Honey, please come over here and meet the moms."

"Huh? Yeah okay."

Annie watched as Shirley quickly introduced Andre and then seemed to pawn him off on Rachel. She turned back to Dorie and said with a lilt in her voice, "I am such good friends with Jef-frey. I was really so disappointed that the rest of the study group got to you meet you at Christ-mas."

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. I would have invited you, but I was told you already had holiday plans. You're welcome anytime."

Annie mumbled, "Shirley."

Her attempts to hand Ben back were again swatted off as Shirley replied to Dorie, "Why, that is wonderful. I usually host myself, but I am sure we can figure out something this year."

"Damn woman, why you have to go inviting the whole town to Christmas?"

Shirley turned to Andre, who had been exchanging pleasantries with a confused looking Rachel.

"Now honey, we're in polite com-pa-ny. There is no need to use such lang-guage."

Andre let out a deep sigh as he shifted his gaze amongst the women. "Sorry."

Annie caught sight of Buzz talking with Ian and Britta off to the left. Still holding Ben with one arm, she waived them all over in an attempt to break the tension.

She chirped, "Mom, did you meet Ian, Britta, and Professor Hickey?" She hesitated as she caught Professor Hickey's almost imperceptible hurt expression. She then added, "I mean Buzz?"

Rachel stepped away from Andre and extended her hand as Annie nervously made introductions. Dorie continued to nod sympathetically as Shirley talked about the stresses of balancing motherhood and business. Andre used the interruption as an opportunity to step over to a side table, where he was relieved to see Thanos and his wife. As Andre talked with Daniela, Thanos made a beeline for the chips and dip.

Britta also seized the opportunity to say a few noncommittal words to Rachel before joining Thanos at the snack table. Ian frowned but then quickly became riveted by Rachel's presence.

Rachel's eyes lit up as she noticed Ian's interest. She flashed a blinding smile. "It's so good to meet you. Annie tells me you're friends with Jeff and that you're a professor."

"That's right. Psychology."

"How intriguing. And you, too?"

Buzz grunted. "Yup. Criminology."

"They both sound so sexy."

"Well, Psychology is a versatile field."

"Are either one of you Jewish?"

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm not, but Buzz here is."

"Is he?"

Buzz took a step back.

Rachel continued, "Oh, and I must say I'm just a wee bit disappointed you're not. Where is that accent from?"

Annie watched in growing horror as her mother batted her eyelashes at the both of them. She cast a look over at Dorie, who had also noticed the interaction and was frowning. She turned her attention back to watching Ian and Buzz, noticing that Buzz had begun to perspire on his forehead and had taken another step back while Ian moved in a little closer and offered to take the stilettos from Rachel's free hand, saying he'd be ever so delighted to place them somewhere secure for her.

Before Annie could squeak, Pierce seemed to materialize from nowhere and handed Rachel a pair of what appeared to be new pink fuzzy slippers. Rachel giggled in response and accepted them from him and then stated she would need to walk over to a lounge chair to put them on. Ian and Pierce followed her as Britta turned from her conversation with Thanos and exchanged incredulous looks with Annie.

Buzz grunted at Annie before excusing himself and heading toward the bathroom.

X

X

X

Jeff was slowly running, bending over while holding onto a giggling Sophie's hand with his left and Sam's with his right. Dino, Henry, and Simon were following and shouting something about birthday cake.

He spied Annie in animated conversation with Britta, who looked like she was going to punch someone. As he stopped and tilted his head in wonder, Thanos approached and hunched down to meet his gaze while slapping him on the back.

Thanos whispered, "It's a soap opera around here."

"What the heck?"

Thanos cast a glance back over his shoulder at Britta and Annie before flashing a mischievous grin.

"Your sweater-vest friend is stupid. He's fawning over the flashy lady when he has a cool girl like Britta." Thanos shook his head and gave an exaggerated 'tsk-tsk' sound.

Jeff's eyes widened as he turned to see Ian chatting amicably with Rachel, both seated in lounge chairs. Pierce was hovering nearby and appeared to be attempting to awkwardly insert himself into the conversation. Rachel then said something to him and he nodded and eagerly made his way toward the punch.

"What the heck is he doing?"

Sophie smiled up at them. _"Tit-ta!"_

Jeff and Thanos exchanged guilty looks, both realizing they tended to forget Sophie and Dino could understand a lot by now. Jeff still marveled at how earlier Sophie had connected the dots that he and Annie thought Buzz was his mother's boyfriend.

And that she seemed to know what a boyfriend was (kissy kissy?). He frowned in thought.

He whispered something to Sophie and Sam and then disentangled himself, nudging them over to Holly who had followed them and had ushered the other kids toward the dining table.

He cast a curious look over at Dorie and Buzz, who were now both chatting with Shirley, before walking over to Annie and Britta.

"So, Ian's an ass. Sorry."

Britta looked up sharply. "He wouldn't do this to me."

"To you? Oh, is there something to report? Last I heard you two weren't exclusive."

"Well, we aren't _not_ exclusive-exclusive. Or you know, whatever."

"Oh, that's helpful."

"Shut up."

Annie lightly swatted Jeff on the chest. "Jeff! He can't! That's my _mother!_ "

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Oh _now_ who's being dramatic about their mother and one of the Greendale faculty?"

Annie pursed her lips as she glanced over at Ian and her mother. "It's not the same. Ian's with Britta. Our dear friend."

"Yeah, but they look like a good couple, don't they?"

"Jeff!" 

"Ass." Britta leaned over and whispered a little too loudly, "If you want me to help you with _your little thing_ , then don't disrespect me."

Annie's ears perked up.

Jeff let out a wearied sigh. "Fine. I'll take care of it."

X

Jeff smiled tightly as he neared Ian and Rachel, overhearing part of their conversation.

"You really are the most fascinating creature."

"Do you really want to hear all about me?"

"Yes, I most certainly do. Where were you born?"

Before he could speak, an impatient and determined Britta came up behind Jeff and tripped, spilling her punch all over Ian's sweater.

"Bloody hell!"

"Whoops. I'm so clumsy." She looked at him blankly and then turned and walked into the house.

He instantly stood and followed. Jeff watched him go and shook his head. He then regarded Rachel with a squint. She looked up at him and flashed a smile.

"I'm having so much fun!"

x

x

x

Annie, Ben still in her arms, approached Britta near the sink, a tentative expression on her face.

"Are you okay?"

Britta turned and leaned her back against the counter. With a sigh of resignation, she replied, "Yeah. I told him off."

"Where is he?" Annie cocked her head in concern.

Britta jerked her thumb in the direction of the bathroom. "He needed to get cleaned up."

Annie felt her mouth begin to quiver, aware of her feelings of anger and helplessness all bubbling up at once. She managed, "I'm so sorry. I know she's my mother, but please know that I don't condone her behavior."

Britta shook her head and let out a low laugh. "I don't blame _her_. He claimed he wanted to study her. Said he could smell the narcissistic vibes coming off her a mile away."

Annie's eyes widened, and she felt something shift within her. "Really?"

Britta nodded. "I think he smelled _something_ all right. But I think he's also being passive-aggressive because I won't commit to being his girlfriend." She then added with a scowl, "Douche."

Annie found herself reaching out with her free hand to rub Britta's arm, her face flushing as she asked, "Maybe he was trying to study her? He probably could write up a nice case summary."

"Annie!" Britta stared at her in shock.

"She's my mother but I'm not blind. As you know, I've had plenty of issues with her."

"Thanks."

X

X

X

Jeff, Holly, and Thanos managed to wrangle all of the kids and seat them. Pierce and Gilbert had arranged a couple long picnic tables side by side so that the whole party could eat together. Jeff remained skeptical that the little ones, which pretty much still included Sophie, would be able to sit long enough to eat with the adults, but he figured it would be okay.

He decided to not worry about Ruffles, who was doing her best to appear as adorable as possible, her brown eyes widening as she trotted from person to person in the hopes of catching morsels of food.

His eyes went to Annie, who was now seated in between Sophie and Anthony. She smiled proudly at him and then resumed a lively conversation with them both. As he sat down on the other side of Sophie, he smirked in satisfaction at having had the brilliant idea of placing Rachel in between the Dean and Shirley.

"I'm looking for a new apartment."

"Umm."

"I can't live without your daughter. She's an impeccable assistant."

"She has always been successful when she wants to be."

"Um hmmm."

"Now wherever did you get this dress? The fabric is exquisite."

Rachel turned toward the Dean with intrigue.

Jeff's eyes caught Ian and Britta seated on the far side of the table, Kevin comically in between them. Britta was attempting to blot some ketchup off Kevin's face.

Ian mouthed silently to Jeff, "Help me."

Still ticked off with Ian's earlier shenanigans as well as the fact that he had introduced Buzz to his mother and _failed to mention it_ , Jeff quickly averted his gaze.

He noticed Troy and Abed were joking around with the kids and were making conversation with Holly. He turned his attention to his right, and smiled as his mom plopped down next to him. He then frowned as Buzz proceeded to sit on her other side.

Dorie whispered, "You will behave."

"Mom."

He rolled his eyes and then turned away. He exchanged looks with Annie, and then nodded.

Annie tapped her plastic cup with a spoon and addressed the table. "Thank you everyone for celebrating Sophie's birthday with us. We love you all so much." She leaned over and asked with a wide smile, "Sophie sweetie, how old are you?"

" _I twee!"_

"That's right, sweetie. Happy birthday!"

Everyone chimed in, "Happy Birthday, Sophie!"

Sophie looked all around the table and puffed out her chest. She exclaimed, _"Yay! I twee und I eat cake un pwesents! Und der a baby in Mama's tummy!"_

Annie and Jeff's eyes simultaneously widened in incredulity as the table fell eerily silent.

X

After the initial gasps, chokes, and various exclamations – "Jeffrey and Annie, dears!" – "Oh hell no!" – "You guys, that's awesome!" – "Cool cool cool" – "Dear lord in heaven, please just get married already!" – "I called it" – "Man you two do over think things" – "This is fabulous! Another baby Greendale!" – "I'm bored" – "I'm hungry" – "No! Not again! Annie!" – "Fabulous. I'll make room in the portraits" – "Grmpff" – "Bloody Hell Winger why didn't you tell me?" – "Opa!" – "Oh, sweetie!" – Jeff and Annie turned to face each other.

Still bug-eyed, Jeff mouthed silently, "Seriously?"

Annie immediately squeaked. "No!" She gave him a light swat, to which Kevin and the rest of the kids laughed.

Annie turned on her megawatt smile and addressed everyone. With a tremble in her voice, she explained, "She didn't mean to say that. She's wrong." She then leaned down. "Sophie, sweetie, there isn't a baby in my tummy."

Sophie frowned. _"Yah. Baby E-liz-a-beth. She my baby. Und Ben my Baby. Und Ba-den my baby."_

Annie exchanged bemused looks with Jeff and then whispered, "Yes, those are babies, but I don't have a baby in my tummy."

" _Why?"_

Jeff cleared his throat. "Munchkin, you have your baby doll and you get to play with all the babies today." He cast a side eye toward the doll high chair next to her, which contained her baby doll and Bear, both wearing bibs.

" _No E-liz-a-beth."_ Sophie drew out the syllables with an air of exasperation.

"We'll go see her again tomorrow."

Sophie appeared to consider this a moment and then began to stab at her mac 'n cheese with her plastic fork. _"Okay."_

By this point, everyone had heard the exchanges and was chuckling. Jeff could have sworn most of it was due to a sense of relief. It hadn't escaped him what some of the exclamations were. Conscious of how everyone laughing might impact Sophie, he made a silent shooshing gesture and then addressed the table.

"Now that we've cleared that up, let's dig in and then maybe a certain birthday girl can open presents."

He glanced over at his mother, who was regarding him with a smug expression. He guessed his child blurting out embarrassing and untrue things in front of people came back to bite him today. He reminded himself to humble himself before his mother at the first opportunity.

Sophie's ears perked up. _"Und cake, Daddy?"_

"Yes, munchkin. There will be gobs and gobs of cake."

" _Yay!"_

Annie smiled at Jeff and shook her head.

x

As they were cleaning up the table, Jeff pulled Annie aside and whispered, "Do we need to have the talk with her?"

Annie arched a brow. "The talk?"

He leaned down closer and said in an even more hushed tone, "You know. About S-E-X."

Her eyes widened and she gasped. "She's way too young for that!"

He grabbed her hand in mid-swat. Casting a quick glance around to make sure no one was listening, including little ears, he said, "Well, when are we supposed to do that? She's talking about babies in tummies."

Annie sighed. "Nancy just had a baby in her tummy. That's what she's talking about. She's fascinated with the new baby."

Jeff frowned. "But what if she asks us how it got there?"

"She hasn't."

"It's only a matter of time, Annie."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, when she asks, we'll only tell her what she's capable of understanding at her age."

"I have absolutely no clue what that is."

"Ummm…I don't know?" She looked up at him, her brown furrowed in concern.

"A mommy and a daddy have a _special hug_?"

"Jeff."

"What? I'm actually trying to do my homework for a change."

x

x

x

Sophie tore into her presents, Annie backing off and allowing her to open them herself. Rachel clasped her hands tightly on her lap as she watched the proceedings.

Sophie was delighted by her red purse and plastic accessories. Annie frowned at her mother who merely pu-poohed Annie's concerns and handed her an envelope. Annie peered inside to see another CD for college savings. She mouthed her thanks and slipped it into her pocket.

Sophie got through the rest of her presents with gusto, squealing as she opened various art supplies, drawings from her kid friends, and her very first backpack from her parents. It was a bright pink, befitting of Dora the Explorer. Sophie couldn't wait to put Bear inside it.

Finally, and with some assistance from Dorie and Ruffles, she revealed a beautiful handmade wooden pink scooter.

Annie and Jeff turned to Buzz, who was sitting awkwardly to Dorie's left.

Annie exclaimed, "You didn't have to do this!"

Grunt and shrug.

"Did you make this?"

"Yeah."

"It's beautiful."

"I make do with a saw."

Jeff nodded his thanks as Sophie began to push the scooter around.

Ruffles barked at the wheels.

X

X

X

There was a just slightly more dignified cake eating experience relative to the previous two years, and the kids were all happy. Annie appeared to take some pleasure in stating to Rachel that she saw no reason to deprive Sophie of cake. Rachel exchanged looks with Jeff and then murmured something but didn't object.

Jeff wiped the red frosting off Sophie's face as she made various growling noises, which he assumed were her attempts to be a dragon.

After cake, the kids ran around once again. Jeff marveled at their energy. He then spotted Anthony sulking while seated on a large rock in the backyard. He walked over and sat awkwardly next to him, scrunching his long legs in a way that he knew would not be sustainably comfortable. They spent a couple minutes in silence, watching the kids play.

Finally Jeff said, "Sooo. Everything okay?"

"Yeah."

Jeff hesitated, but then decided to just address it. "I heard what you said earlier when Sophie said that baby stuff. We were clear that she made that up, right?"

Anthony's eyes shifted toward Jeff. "Yeah, I know. I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were. I just know you seemed pretty upset."

Without blinking, Anthony glared at him. "It would be stupid of her to have another baby."

Jeff closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them and saying in an even tone, "Anthony, can we please try again? I love Annie. Annie loves you. I would like for us to get along."

"We do."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure you hate me."

That seemed to get Anthony's attention. He turned toward Jeff once again. Jeff was aware that there were light red rims around his eyes. Poor kid.

Anthony finally said, "I'm glad you helped Annie. But she doesn't need you anymore. She has me. I'll take care of her and Sophie."

Jeff raised his eyebrows at this exclamation. "You're sixteen."

Anthony barely whispered, "I'm a man."

"I know. But look, you're in high school."

"Annie was in high school when she got pregnant. So here we are."

Jeff sensed Anthony's rage while also detecting the strong undercurrent of sadness. As prickly as he could be, he felt a pull toward him. With a sigh, he said, "Crap, Anthony, I get it. None of that should have happened to Annie."

"Damn right it shouldn't have."

"But I had nothing to do with that. I met her later, after she had Sophie. And we became friends. And then later we decided to try dating. And then we fell in love."

There was a flash of something in Anthony's eyes. He paused, appeared to reconsider what he was going to say, and then proceeded. "Annie's always wanted to fall in love. She fell in love with Adam."

"And then she fell out of love with him."

Anthony nodded slowly and looked out over the lawn at Sophie playing. He then turned back to Jeff and said, "One day she'll fall out of love with you. When you leave her. But I'll take care of her. She and I can get our own place, and then I won't have to live with mom anymore. And I could help her take care of Sophie, and we could be a family. We don't need anyone else."

Jeff could feel his heart wrenching at Anthony's words. He found himself gulping down a sob, a mild utterance escaping which seemed to startle Anthony.

Jeff said in a trembling voice, "My dad left me too."


	9. Moveable Objects

**Chapter 9: Moveable Objects**

Summary: Jeff takes steps

Annie leaned down and gave Sophie a kiss on her forehead. As she began to step away from the bed, the mop of light brown curls began to stir.

" _Mama?"_

"Yes, sweetie."

" _I lub you."_

"I love you too, Sophie. Goodnight."

" _Nite Nite, Mama. Nite Nite, Wuffles."_

Annie smiled as she glanced over at the furry blob at Sophie's feet. Although she knew Ruffles would go for her last walk in a couple hours, Sophie never caught on and assumed Ruffles was with her from the moment she went to bed until she awoke the next morning. Annie bent down and patted the dog's head, watching as Ruffles yawned and hunkered back down.

She whispered, "Good night, Ruffles. Thanks for watching her."

As she turned to shut off the light next to the bed, she took one last look at her daughter, who was bundled up to her chin with a light blanket, even in July. Sophie liked the weight of the blanket on her, something Annie knew Jeff was fond of as well although he probably wouldn't admit it to anyone else. She sometimes marveled at how much they were alike, from Sophie's tendency to use the hushing hand gesture to Jeff's scrunched up pouty Sophie face when he wasn't getting his way.

Her heart swelled as she regarded Sophie's closed eyes, curled lashes, and contented expression. She wasn't a baby anymore, and although Sophie had been insisting this was the case for a couple months now, it wasn't until this moment that Annie realized it was true. Her baby was now a little kid (she'd tell her she was a big girl to make her feel good), and she seemed to be turning out to be fairly well adjusted. She took a moment to marvel at that fact, after all of her earlier doubts about parenthood and her secret wonderings if she had done the right thing in not giving her up for adoption. Although she now knew she was doing a decent job as a mother, she was aware Jeff's presence in their lives made everything easier. Sophie had a father she could rely on.

"Happy birthday, sweetie."

She made her way to the door and opened it, gingerly stepping into the hallway. As she cracked the door behind her, she could just barely make out Jeff's voice from the living room.

"I know it's tough, but life will get better."

She shuffled forward and leaned against the wall, eager to catch Anthony's response.

"What if it doesn't?"

Her heart broke a little at that one. She had been concerned about Anthony for some time of course, ever since they had reconciled in the study room. She had noticed his efforts to hide his tears and his reluctance to tell her what was on his mind. She had attempted to assuage her own guilt at having not spoken to him for three years by telling herself they were still getting reacquainted and that it would take time. And he seemed to perk up around Sophie, but the underlying irritability had remained, and lately it had seemed to be directed at Jeff.

When Jeff had taken her aside near the end of Sophie's party and told her he had invited Anthony to spend the night, she had been mildly surprised. She had seen them talking near the rocks at the edge of the lawn, but whenever she had attempted to go near, someone else had clamored for her attention and then Shirley had pushed baby Ben back on her again so that she could gossip with Britta. Annie frowned at the memory, realizing that despite being initially happy at the idea of all their loved ones coming together to celebrate, it had turned out to be a disappointing party. Most of the guests weren't really into attending a three-year-old's birthday party, and in retrospect she thought they should have just had some of the kids over to play.

She hadn't gotten much time alone with Anthony with the exception of dinner, and even then she was of course attending to Sophie as well. Anthony had seemed in reasonable spirits at the table until Sophie had made her embarrassing announcement. She tried to block out what she knew was his exclamation before he had fallen eerily silent.

The idea of Jeff and Anthony actually talking though was something she hadn't realized until this moment she had wanted so desperately. Perhaps Jeff could reach Anthony. It was worth a try.

She stepped forward and continued to listen.

Jeff was explaining in a calm and steady voice, "It already is. You and Annie are part of each other's lives again, you're halfway through high school, and you're a kick-ass uncle. Or at least the munchkin tells me she thinks you have potential."

Annie smiled and clasped her hands together with hope.

There came a swift and surly response.

"Don't use Sophie to get me to like you."

With a heavy sigh, Jeff replied, "That's not what I was trying to do. I was merely stating the facts. She seems to get along well with you, and she's your niece. You're welcome to see her whenever you want."

There was a pause.

"Um, thanks."

"You don't have to like me, but maybe we can get to know each other a little better. Would that be okay?"

"I guess."

"Great. So shoot."

"Huh?"

"What do you want to know about me?"

Annie pressed her head against the wall and waited for what seemed like almost an eternity. She honestly had no idea what Anthony would say or ask. Part of her was almost sure he'd run out of the room.

Finally, Anthony mumbled, "Maybe I'd like to know more about what happened to your dad."

Jeff hesitated, and Annie could almost hear the gulp.

"Sure."

Anthony grumbled, "If that's okay? You got all weird earlier. But hey, if you don't want to…"

-"No. It's okay. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Annie turned and crept back to their bedroom, carefully closing the door behind her. She let go of her breath once she was safely on the other side.

X

X

X

She looked up from her book as Jeff entered the bedroom. He gave a small smile and then shut the door. She watched as he turned away and pulled off his jeans, tossing them on a chair before changing into his light grey sleeping shirt. She arched a brow as he then pulled on pajama pants over his Hanros.

He smirked at her and crawled into the bed, almost demurely pulling the covers over him. This earned him a light swat.

"Hey!"

"Why are you being so weird?"

He turned to her and explained, "Due to your brother being on our couch, there will be no sexy times tonight _, honey_. You'll just have to control yourself. I know it'll be extremely trying, but you can do this. I have faith in you."

Another swat.

With a huff of indignation, she placed her book on the nightstand and then turned on her side to face him, their noses inches apart.

"Oh yes, it will be _so_ difficult for me to _control_ myself."

"Did you just give me an implicit eye roll?"

"Hm?"

"Okay, now that was an explicit one. I was being serious. This body…." He gestured down his torso.

Narrowing her eyes, she interjected, "Is covered in Victorian wear."

His eyes began to sparkle as he inched a little closer.

"Is it?"

It only took a moment for her to wrangle him out of that stupid shirt.

X

They lay nestled in each other's arms, Annie turned into Jeff's chest. Although she could barely breathe at the moment, part of her didn't want to turn away and let him spoon her, as she wanted to see him. Luckily, he seemed to sense this and relaxed his grip on her just enough so that she could scoot up a bit and meet his gaze. She smiled at him, and he grinned right back.

Before she could speak, he said in a low and stupidly sexy voice, "I knew you couldn't resist me."

She rolled her eyes, but they both knew she didn't mean it. He chuckled and placed a kiss on her temple before reaching down and grabbing the top sheet to pull up over them.

He added, "But at least we were quiet. Very quiet. That was _impressive_."

She felt her cheeks become hot at the memory of them both biting their lips and stifling their moans as she rode him. There was a moment when he had reached up to touch her breast, and she had been so close to coming that she almost lost all restraint.

She had been less interested in the blindfold game in the past year, having fully moved on from past lovers (well, who was she kidding with her vagueness; it was Vaughn who had taught her that trick), as she became more curious about what really got her going with Jeff specifically, besides his eyes and abs. In that instant when she was holding back her scream, she had wondered if they were seriously missing out on almost-getting-caught sex. After all, they never did make love in the biology lab.

She gave him a quick peck on the lips and whispered, her tone teasing, "Well, we did have lots of practice when Sophie was little."

He kept his gaze on the ceiling and mused, "Dildopolis."

"But you were a little bit a of a prude about that too."

She watched his reaction, wondering if he'd be into it. He had agreed to go to campus with her that one night, but they never talked about it later after their plans had been thwarted.

He scoffed. "Prude? Annie, as much as I enjoy _foreplay banter_ , I'm kinda tired now, so let's just go to sleep."

Swat.

As Jeff chuckled and leaned away to turn off the table lamp, Annie looked up at him with wide eyes and said, "You were great with him. Thank you."

The light went out, and she felt him wrap his arms around her once again. She knew she didn't need to specify she was talking about Anthony, for she gathered Jeff had left the living room after a difficult conversation and was likely shaken up by it. It was part of the reason she had decided to distract him with sex. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like for him to tell her brother about his childhood. She wondered how much he had divulged and what the implications might be for his relationship with Anthony.

"It's about time I got to know that kid."

She hesitated, but then managed, "You've been avoiding him."

"Because I wanted to give you guys space. But now I think maybe that was making things a little worse."

"What did he tell you?"

"Not much yet. But he's fiercely protective of you, and I get that."

"You'd never hurt me."

"That's right. You're stuck with me, 'til death do us part."

After a minor squeak, she found herself holding in her breath as she heard his own catch and felt his body tense. For a moment she wondered if he either regretted saying it or was going to propose. She wouldn't put it past him to do it right now, in a moment of vulnerability. But she secretly wanted him to go all out in a grand gesture – candlelight dinner, flowers, perhaps a horse-drawn carriage? She silently berated herself for having these wishes but then quickly decided it was perfectly okay to allow herself to fantasize.

They lay almost frozen for several awkward moments before he mumbled, "Not that I plan on dying just yet. Love you. Good night."

He then pressed a kiss on her temple and rolled away.

Normally she may have been a little miffed about this, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling, for she knew in her heart he was with her in every way that counted.

She reached over and spooned him.

He didn't object.

X

X

X

The next day, Annie watched with wariness as Anthony adjusted Sophie's bib at the breakfast table. She had noticed he seemed fairly somber, and while this not necessarily unusual, there was a flatness to his expression that seemed even more intentional, especially with Sophie.

Sophie smiled at her uncle and smacked her hand on her empty purple plastic plate. _"Dank you."_

"Yeah, sure."

" _You stay und eat wid me?"_

There was the hint of a smirk as Anthony replied, "Yeah, I'll eat breakfast with you but then I have to go home."

Sophie's eyes welled to about five times their size.

 _"Can I come to your house? Pease?"_

Annie exchanged looks with Jeff, who was pulling up a chair opposite Anthony. Jeff shrugged.

As she turned back toward them, Anthony said, "I don't want her to come over to my house, but maybe I can stay a little longer today?"

Jeff replied breezily, "Of course. Why don't we all go to the park after we eat?"

" _Ooooh, I like da park. Un-cle Anty, we go pay wid da swide, okay?"_

Annie nodded in agreement, her body relaxing as she saw a spark of something in Anthony's eyes as he looked over at Jeff.

Anthony said, "Yeah, but I'll have to ask mom, and I'm not sure if she'll let me because she wanted me to go antiquing with her today."

Annie decided to wait to respond, noticing that perhaps Anthony was not looking to her to solve this situation but was seeing what Jeff would do. As she suspected, he continued to regard Jeff with a tentative expression, and luckily Jeff responded with a resoluteness Annie admired.

"I'll give her a call. I'm sure it won't be a problem."

"Thanks." After a moment of hesitation, Anthony added as he scooped up some eggs on his plate, "And the game?"

Annie's ears perked up while she attempted to cut Sophie's toast into smaller pieces.

"I texted Abed and he says we're on for Thursday. I'll tell your mom about that too."

"And I can be any character I want?"

"Sure."

"Neat."

"No, it's actually cool cool cool. You'll get to know Abed. He's particular."

Annie smiled as she let herself completely relax for the first time in weeks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jeff plopped down in the booth opposite his friend. Well, he supposed the person he _thought_ was his friend. Betrayal tended to creep up on him in his life. He probably shouldn't have been surprised.

Ian looked up from his ginger ale and instinctively flinched.

With a roll of his eyes, Jeff said, "I'm not going to hit you."

"I wouldn't think so, Jeffrey, but err, that's reassuring."

Jeff studied his panicked face with irritation before leaning back and squinting. He cleared his throat.

"Let's get this over with. Hickey. My mom. Spill it."

Ian clasped his glass as his eyes darted toward the bar. Jeff followed his gaze and at his raised brows, Ian explained, "I didn't know you'd be here. I was meeting Britta, but then she told me she needed to make a call and she hasn't returned."

Jeff eyed the empty glass on the table, and smirked. "That was because she called me."

"Ahh."

"She knew we needed to hash some things out. So she said I could have you when she was done with you."

Ian winced. "Bloody woman."

"So is she done with you?"

He watched as Ian regarded his non-alcoholic beverage with a slight scowl.

Finally, he answered, "No."

"Really? Well I'd think that was good news."

Ian looked up at him with wide eyes. "You would think so, wouldn't you? I even told her I had nothing to apologize for. I can talk to other women. Hell I can _sleep_ with other women. I could theoretically sleep with _hundreds_ of other women. She's the one who said she wanted to keep things open."

"I am sure you are sleeping with _thousands_ of other women."

Ignoring Jeff's sarcasm, he said, "I really went for it. I provoked her again a mere half hour ago. I fully expected her to call this whole thing off, but she…" his voice trailed off as he returned to study his drink.

Against his better judgment, Jeff leaned in slightly and cocked his brow. "She?"

"She slapped me."

"Of course."

"And then she said we could be exclusive."

Jeff curled up his left hand into a fist and placed it near his mouth as he attempted to figure out his response. While he had little desire to get involved in this mess, a tiny part of him, perhaps larger than he'd care to admit, was curious.

Ian looked back up and, noticing Jeff's expression, began to nod vigorously. "Oh, she did. And before I could process it, she says she needs to make a call. And that's the last I saw of her."

Jeff let out a low whistle as his fist tapped the table. "You two are insane."

"I know, Jeffrey."

Noticing the beginning of a pout, Jeff interjected, "Enough. Back to my mom and Hickey. You introduced them and failed to tell me about it. Why?"

Ian nodded a couple times before he took a sip of his drink. He then waived the server over to them and before Jeff could object, ordered a whiskey.

"You're going to fall of the wagon then?"

"No, my dear idiot. The drink's for you."

"So I need a drink?"

"It might help."

Jeff scowled but then waited until the server returned. He picked up the tumbler and took a long sip before setting it back on the table.

"Now."

"Your mum needed some help around the house. Buzz…"

Jeff waived his hand and cut him off. "The real reason."

"They're both lonely."

Jeff startled at his candor. He took a moment to consider it, but then merely said, "My mother is not lonely."

Ian shrugged and took a sip of ginger ale. "She has her pets, she has her work, and yes, she has friends, and I consider her a friend, but alas…. I knew she could benefit from someone more age appropriate, especially since I was fairly certain…well, let's never mind that subject."

Jeff quickly took another sip of his whiskey as their eyes both widened and they looked away from each other. They took some time to both study their respective beverages and contemplate the unique woodwork of the table.

Finally, Jeff managed to ask, "And you thought Buzz Hickey?"

"He's a loyal man. One wife died on him and the other divorced him, but he never gave up."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd never let a man within a football field of her. You're so bloody over protective."

Jeff found himself tensing, but he had no idea why. No, he told himself, Ian was wrong. He'd be happy for his mom if she found love. She deserved that. But he knew no man would ever be good enough for her. And plus, she was perfectly awesome on her own.

Feeling the guilt rise in his stomach, he took another sip. Ian watched him with intense and annoying curiosity.

"What?" He scowled again.

Ian shrugged. "Nothing. I was merely noticing the fascinating similarities between you and that lovely moody adolescent brother of Annie's."

"Ian, I…"

-"He doesn't want anyone near his sister either. But she's chosen you."

Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Your comparison doesn't work. My mother hasn't _chosen_ Buzz. In fact, she told me she let him go because she didn't want anything serious. She said she'd never marry again."

Ian nodded slowly. "You are aware she's doing that for you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"You could tell her it's okay."

"Shut up."

"Don't you want your mum to be happy?"

Jeff gulped down the rest of his drink and slammed it down.

"You know what, Ian? We are done with this subject. I need to find Britta."

Ian raised his brows at this comment. "Well I have no bloody idea where she is, obviously. Although I am a tad concerned I may have missed out on a Perry clue that I'm supposed to find her in the alley and shag her senseless."

Jeff gave a tight smile and stood, making an internal effort to not picture such a moment.

Ian lifted his head and asked, "Why do you need to find her?"

"We were supposed to do lunch, but never decided where. That's why I initially thought she wanted me to come here, but whatever."

"Lunch?"

"You're not invited."

"Secrets? You two have been mighty cozy, with all the whispering yesterday."

Jeff groaned as he slapped a few bills down on the counter, to which he noticed with some irritation Ian didn't rebuff.

He then leaned down and asked, "Is that why you hit on Rachel?"

"If you must know, it was Thanos."

"God."

"He has a body like a god."

Jeff stood back up and closed his eyes for a few moments. He then opened them to regard an even more pitiful looking Ian, who was hunched over his ginger ale.

"Thanos is married."

Ian began tracing the lip of his glass. "She thinks he's dreamy. She told me all about him ages ago before we hooked up."

"I hardly think Britta would describe anyone as _dreamy_."

With a bitter edge to his voice, Ian said, "She implied it."

Jeff let out an exasperated sigh. "If you must know, Britta is helping me with something. I'll fill you in later once it's done."

He turned to go, but was met with an almost whispered question.

"Oh, you mean the proposal?"

He spun around and stared at him.

"How did you…?"

-"Britta's the logical person to ask, outside of Mrs. Bennett whom I would assume you'd steer clear of due to her overly religious and judgy values. Britta has a knack for this sort of thing, and she could probably plan her own wedding down to the doves and ice sculptures. If she ever got married, of course, but…"

With a roll of his eyes, Jeff interjected, -"Whoa there, sickly tiger. Stick to being _exclusive_ with her for at least two days before you propose."

Jeff squinted at his friend, struck by the tendency for their conversations to jump around in a startlingly tangential manner. He briefly wondered if this was what Ian's mind was like.

Ian appeared to ponder his glass for a few moments before muttering, "I don't see why you didn't tell me about proposing. I would have been bloody happy for you."

"Look, can we just…"

-"Nevermind, Jeffrey." He made a shooing gesture. "Go find Britta. And when you two are done with your lunch, please be sure to tell me where she's going next. I'll surprise her."

"Right."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So that's pretty much what I'm thinking."

Jeff sat wide eyed in front of Britta, who was leaning back in her chair and lighting up a cigarette as they sat in the outdoor seating area of Café Denis.

"I don't think you're supposed to smoke here."

"Whatever."

"And didn't you give it up?"

Britta rolled her eyes as she took another puff. "I've been stressed. Plus, thank god I don't picture Pierce in a hot tub anymore. Although he did mention it at the party yesterday. I think he wanted me to join him with your mom and Annie's mom."

Jeff grimaced, but Britta waived a hand.

"It's okay. I told Annie I'm not upset with her mom. Shirley and I hate her of course, but that has nothing to do with what happened at the party. It's because of what she did to Annie."

Jeff nodded and looked back down at his notepad. Although Britta came rattling off proposal ideas seemingly without even an outline, he found he couldn't keep everything straight unless he wrote it down. This surprised him, as he was normally someone who could hold dozens of ideas in his mind at once and prided himself on going off-book. But this was definitely not something he wanted to ad lib. Or screw up.

 _Damn, was it hot in here?_

He continued to study the list of suggestions, tapping his pen as he did so.

"You can't smoke out here."

"Fine. God."

He didn't even look up as he heard the exchange between Britta and the waitress, his eyes still fixed on the third item.

 _Purple Lilacs_ _– two dozen, split into two bouquets – one in limo and other in carriage_

"What is it, dorkwad?"

He raised his gaze and let out a deep breath. "Why so many flowers?"

"It's Annie."

"Right. But why a limo _and_ a carriage? Don't you think that's a little excessive?"

"It's Annie."

"Right."

"But Greendale?"

Britta let out a wearied sigh and scooted her chair closer. Peering at him over her sunglasses, she stated with emphasis, "Annie will think it's really special if you drop down on one knee on the library steps and propose right where you first met."

"We met in the study room."

"No, jackass. Where you and Sophie first met. Where the three of you were together for the first time. She'll _Annie awww_ about it all over the frickin' place. Trust me."

He startled in the realization that sometimes Britta was unnervingly perceptive. Annie would absolutely love the idea of him proposing a life together, him, her, and Sophie, at the place where they had met almost three years ago.

He was aware Britta was now smiling smugly at him, having likely caught his thoughts.

"It's true, I know Annie. Do it this way."

He frowned. "Are we sure about the rest of it?"

She nodded. "Yes, and I am sure everyone else will agree to their parts. We all want you guys to spend the rest of your sickeningly sweet lives together."

Although he made an initial effort to stop it, he found himself smiling.

As she stood, Britta mumbled, "God. So when are you going to do it, anyway? Oh, and you're welcome, jerk."

Continuing to grin, he looked up at her. "Oh, I have a particular special day in mind."

She narrowed her eyes. "What special day?"

"The anniversary of our first…um, date?"

Glancing up at the sky, she groaned, "Just great. Now I have that image."

"Our sexversary."

"Pig! I know what you meant!"

Jeff chuckled.


	10. The Proposal

**Chapter 10: The Proposal**

Summary: See title

Jeff grunted and sat back on the couch with the skiing brochure. As he began to flip through it, he attempted yet again to relax his neck and shoulder muscles. He told himself he didn't need to be so tense. He had a plan. A pretty solid plan, actually.

After coordinating with the various study group members, it was now only a matter of executing it.

He didn't have any reason to think she'd turn him down. Britta and Shirley were also fairly confident Annie would be delighted. Abed seemed mildly surprised he hadn't yet done it but then had nodded sagely and mumbled something about his character's emotional arc. Troy had jumped for joy and then bitten his knuckle while he listened to Jeff's instructions for his part. And Pierce annoying slapped him on the back and began making plans for them to go to a strip club in Vegas. Jeff had needed to redirect him and make sure Shirley would keep him in line so that he wouldn't fuck everything up.

Speaking of fucking things up, Jeff tried not to think too hard about how he was actually going to go about asking. He knew when. He knew where. He had the ring, which was still safely ensconced in his nightstand drawer. But he hesitated in planning the actual words. He was good at Winger speeches. He knew he'd think of the perfect thing to say at the time. Sure, it may have been a form of avoidance or some such crap Ian had been muttering, but he knew deep down he'd find some way to express to Annie how much she meant to him.

"What are you doing?"

He startled and looked up with a likely guilty expression.

"Oh, err, I'm just going over this…" He waived the brochure in the air.

Annie smiled and made her way over to him, her left hand holding up half her hair as she clipped it in place with her right. Sophie toddled in after her, as she had been following Annie around while she got ready for their Sexversary Date. Ruffles followed Sophie in and the two proceeded to engage in a short-distance version of fetch over near the television.

Jeff felt the warmth spread throughout his chest as he took in the sight of Annie's dark blue dress and bare legs. As she scooted closer, his eyes fell to the necklace he had gotten her for her birthday; it contained a small oval with a bird inside and had been something that said _Annie_ to him when he had picked out her original ring at the jewelers last fall. It was the first piece of jewelry he had given her, and although it hadn't been very expensive at all, she had squealed when she saw it and had worn it on many occasions since.

She noticed his gaze and tilted her head, scooting a little closer to him.

"I love this necklace."

"It looks really nice on you."

"Thank you. My stupidly sexy boyfriend gave it to me because he's a sweetheart."

He grinned and dropped the brochure on the coffee table. Annie glanced down, her eyes sparkling as she did a little bounce in her seat.

"Do you think we really can?"

He rolled his eyes, but not in a serious way.

"I told you earlier, yes."

He watched as she furrowed her brow and placed her index finger near her lips. "I haven't been skiing in a long time. I hope I remember how."

Jeff sighed and wrapped his arm around her, and she readily leaned into his side.

"We'll rock those slopes."

"Yeah."

"And then we'll have cozy time by a fire…"

-"Ooooh…and a Jacuzzi spa maybe?"

"Sure."

"And we could do those hot toddy drinks?"

"Yeah, why not?"

She looked up at him with sly grin, her eyes growing larger.

"Or maybe they make really good appletinis?"

He rolled his eyes at her and let out an exaggerated groan.

"God. Do _not_ make me order that."

"You love me."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Jeff."

As he chuckled, Sophie approached and attempted to shove her way in between them. At Annie's pout, Jeff sighed and reached over to hoist her onto the couch, placing her in her desired spot.

" _Yay!"_

"You did it, munchkin. Good persuasion techniques."

Annie arched a brow.

He smirked as he added in an almost whisper, "I think she may be a tad j-e-a-l-o-u-s."

Annie smiled and addressed a pleased looking Sophie, who was cradling Ruffle's green ball on her lap as the dog sat in front of her, alert and waiting.

"Sweetie, let Ruffles have her ball."

" _Me und Wuffles go wid you?"_

"No, Daddy and I are going out. But Lacey's going to come over to play with you."

" _I wanna go."_

"I know. But you'll have so much fun with Lacey. She told me she's going to make you mac 'n cheese."

Sophie's ears perked up and she smiled slightly before her face fell.

" _I wan Tit-ta."_

Annie exchanged knowing looks with Jeff and then leaned down and explained, "Britta isn't able to come over tonight, sweetie. You'll see her soon, but Lacey is a lot of fun too. You remember Lacey, right? She's Auntie Shirley's sister. She's looking forward to seeing you and meeting Ruffles. You can show her all the cool things Ruffles can do."

" _Okay."_

With that, a resigned Sophie tossed Ruffles' ball onto the floor. The dog proceeded to pick it up in her mouth and then spit it out.

Jeff remarked dryly, "Good job, wuff-wuff. Stellar."

"Jeff."

He laughed silently as he patted Sophie on the head, mumbled something to her about lining up her toys on the opposite wall for Lacey's visit, and then lifted her and placed her back down on the floor. He turned to Annie and was about to mention something about finishing his own grooming for the evening, when his attention was caught by Annie's pensive expression. He tilted his head and waited.

After a brief hesitation, she said, "I don't have a clue what Britta's up to tonight."

"So?"

"She was really weird about it earlier in the week when I asked her to watch Sophie. She wouldn't explain but just said she was busy."

He scoffed, attempting to appear as nonchalant as possible. "That's hardly a crime. She's probably just getting hot and heavy with Ian and doesn't want to admit it."

"No, that's not it. She always tells me when they get together."

He raised his brows. "She does? Wait, do you tell her when we…"

She swatted him. "Nevermind. It's just strange. And I'm kind of bummed Abed and Troy couldn't come over either." She sat up a little straighter. "I should finish getting ready."

"You already look gorgeous."

As she rose, she turned to him and shook her head. "I have to put on some lipstick."

"I'll just kiss it off."

"We're going to fancy restaurant. I want to be perfect."

Her breath caught as he grabbed her hand and pulled her over to him and looked up at her with soft eyes and a lazy grin. There was something she couldn't quite pinpoint in his expression that seemed different. He appeared to be contemplating saying something but then stopped. She flashed him an encouraging smile.

He pursed his lips for a moment before finally saying, "You are absolutely perfect. So amazingly perfect. I love you."

"Awww."

" _You und Mama kissy kissy?"_

They startled as they fell out of their brief stupor and turned toward an intensely interested Sophie. She was now clutching her bear, her eyes on Jeff as she had asked her question.

Without missing a beat, Jeff replied with resolution, "Yeah, I am."

Annie squealed as he pulled her down on his lap and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

" _Yay! Now kiss Bear."_

He took the bear from Sophie, and casting Annie a bemused look, proceeded to give it a quick peck on its left ear.

" _Now you do it, Mama."_

Annie obliged and kissed the other ear.

Sophie nodded and then asked very sweetly, _"Und me und bear und Wuffles go wid you und Daddy."_ She then added with a smile of satisfaction, _"Un La-ceee go nite nite."_

Annie narrowed her eyes at Sophie. "Sweetie, we've been over this, you're staying here and Daddy and I are going out. We'll be home later."

Sophie frowned.

" _Why?"_

Jeff let out a long sigh. "Because Mommy and I are going to a fancy place where they only allow grown ups. You wouldn't like it because you would be bored. They don't even make mac 'n cheese, so they only have yucky grown up food." He paused to consider something and then added, "Like beets."

" _Yucky. Ewww."_

"That's right, munchkin."

Annie rolled her eyes at him.

" _Mama wear dress? Mama so pwetty."_

"Yeah, she is." 

"Thank you, sweetie."

Before Annie could climb off Jeff's lap, Sophie nodded and toddled out of the room. Jeff stilled Annie's movements to rise and proceeded to give her a proper kiss.

She hummed with contentment against his lips as they pulled out of the kiss. They took a few moments to stare at one another, both smiling almost shyly.

Jeff couldn't believe he was this lucky. His girlfriend Annie Edison was on his lap, and if all went according to plan, by the end of this evening, she would be his fiancé. And then eventually wife. He gulped at the thought, aware of all the nerves in his body as he continued to gaze into her eyes.

Annie knew something was different about Jeff tonight. He had been delaying getting completely ready. True, his hair was perfectly coiffed, his dress pants pressed and buckled, and his medium blue dress shirt buttoned into place, but on the rare occasions when they did go out for a nice dinner he tended to fuss more in the mirror up until the last minute. But tonight she suspected he was actually nervous. He had been making various grumbling and sighing noises for the past hour, almost restlessly shuffling about the apartment, never appearing to allow her to talk to him for more than a few seconds before awkwardly shifting his gaze and finding an excuse to leave the area.

She looked into his eyes right then and knew. He was the one who had been so adamant they needed to celebrate their "dating" anniversary. He had even insisted they get a babysitter and have a fancy dinner in town. Her heart almost skipped a beat at the thought that maybe he was ready. Maybe they were both ready.

She had been musing over how he was going to go about it. While she had run various scenarios in her mind, ranging from fantastical - horse drawn carriage, limo, purple lilacs, all their dear friends being a part of the proposal in some way, each one teary eyed - to ho-hum - he'd roll over after they had sex and grab a ring box out of his jacket which by then had been tossed onto the floor -, she admitted to herself she really had no idea. But she did know what her answer would be, however he went about it.

Her eyes went to his jacket, which was hanging neatly over a dining chair near the kitchen. She couldn't detect a bulge in the lining from that far away, but was fairly sure it contained a ring.

Fairly sure.

She startled as Jeff said in a throaty voice, "Why are you squinting? Is something in your eye?"

She looked back down at him and smiled, adjusting herself a little as continued to straddle his lap. "I love you."

She watched as the corners of his mouth began to slowly turn upward, his eyes soft once more. For a brief moment, she wondered if he was going to do it now.

 _But he'd have the ring, right?_

Jeff continued to take in the sight of her, almost tempted to just ask her on the spot. But he didn't want to do it that way. Plus, the ring was still in its hiding place next to the bed, as he hadn't wanted to risk her catching him with it on the way to his jacket. He was waiting to grab it until she was distracted by Lacey's arrival.

They both grinned at each other.

Before either could say another word, they were interrupted once again.

" _Oooooh, Mama! Look at dis! Id soooo pwetty! Und id puple!"_

Jeff turned, his eyes widening at the sight of Sophie standing by the couch holding the open ring box.

X

X

X

Annie stared at the ring. It was purple all right, three amethyst stones on a silver band. It was perfect. She felt the adrenaline rush through her body, as despite her earlier wonderings, she was in almost disbelief.

Sophie was smiling brightly and holding out the open ring box, clearly delighted at her find and at Annie's reaction.

Annie turned to look at Jeff, who was completely bug-eyed and likely holding his breath. She let out a squeak.

Jeff appeared to pull himself together enough to manage in a rush of words, "Annie, I … she wasn't supposed to find it…I was going to… the horses…the steps…after dinner…."

"Ask me."

"Hmm?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"Ask me now, Jeff. Please."

He was aware of the tremble in her voice, the complete openness and urgency in her expression as she continued to await his response. It flashed into his mind that talking to Troy on the phone earlier and telling him where he hid the ring while Sophie played nearby might have been a mistake. Of course the kid didn't know what an engagement ring was, but she likely picked up on the fact that he had gotten her mommy a present. If only he had listened to Abed chiming in the background, telling him to move it or he'd "ruin the climatic scene."

But looking into her eyes now, holding his lady on his lap, he had a feeling everything would turn out just fine. Somehow it was fitting Sophie was a part of the whole thing. Part of him felt a little bad his original plans had excluded her.

He attempted to muster up some semblance of calmness as he gulped and then nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

He inwardly winced at the obvious wavering in his tone, but he couldn't help it. For some reason he was low-key freaking out.

 _But she'll say yes?_

 _Right?_

He turned toward Sophie and gave her a small smile. She looked back at him with an uncertain expression. It occurred to him that perhaps she had picked up on their reactions and was wondering if she had done something wrong. He made his best attempt to reassure her.

"Sophie, honey, could you please hand me that?" He indicated with his head toward the ring box in her hands.

Annie bit her lip as she mentally noted Jeff calling Sophie by her name. She couldn't help but think that was significant in some way. She watched as Sophie relaxed her tense shoulders and, as Jeff continued to provide her with nonverbal encouragement and a warm expression, let out an exclamation of excitement.

Sophie shoved the box toward Jeff, and he took it and then reached across Annie with his other hand to take out the ring. He then tossed the box on the couch and held the ring aloft.

"Stand up."

Annie squeaked as she immediately obeyed and hopped off his lap. Her eyes glistened in wonder as he proceeded to stand in front of her and then drop to one knee.

"Jeff."

She felt her breath catch.

Looking up into her open and loving face, Jeff licked his lips and took a deep breath.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes!"

He felt the warmth spread through his chest and into his cheeks as he watched her do her trademark hop and then grin down at him. His hands shaking, he took her left hand, which was conveniently already outstretched, and placed the ring on her finger.

It fit. Score one for Shirley Bennett's wisdom in him borrowing one of Annie's other rings for sizing. He watched as Annie looked down at her finger and then immediately began sobbing.

"Annie, is everything…? Crap, did I do this wrong? You hate it? Cause we can get a different ring…"

Before he could blabber on, Annie shook her head and wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him into her waist. As he struggled to breath, he heard her continue sobbing as she said,

"I love it. And I love you."

He managed to lift his head so he could see her gazing down at him, tears still falling but now silent. He smiled.

"I love you too."

She continued to stare down at him, the corners of her mouth lifting almost tentatively. She couldn't believe this was happening. Although she had her suspicions, the fact that she was now standing here, with Jeff Winger kneeling at her feet, was almost surreal. She glanced back down at the ring to make sure she didn't just imagine the whole thing.

She lifted her hand and smiled fully. "Amethyst?"

"Yup."

"Why are there three stones?"

" _Mama happy?"_

They both startled and turned to see Sophie, who had come over to them and was standing immediately to Jeff's right. Jeff let go of Annie's waist and pulled Sophie into a bear hug, which elicited some giggles.

Annie dropped down and joined them on the floor, scooting back so that she could lean her back against the couch. Jeff joined her and held Sophie on his lap.

" _Id so pwetty."_ Sophie smiled at the ring, which Annie was now holding out for her to see.

"Yes, Daddy picked a very nice ring."

Jeff nodded and answered her question, "The stone in the middle is you, the ones on each side are me and Sophie."

"Awww!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"It's just what I wanted."

Jeff shrugged but then found himself letting out another breath he didn't know he had been holding.

She watched his attempt at being nonchalant but knew he had been feeling a lot of pressure in keeping this whole thing a secret. She leaned her head on his shoulder as Sophie continued to touch the ring.

"Not that I'm complaining, but how did you afford this?"

She noted his subtle sigh and briefly wondered if she had stepped into some territory that she shouldn't have at this moment. It was a beautiful ring, and it looked like it could have been expensive. She squinted a little as she regarded the tiny stones near the amethyst and wondered if they were diamonds.

"Those are cubic zirconia. I was a little short on funds."

"I don't like diamonds anyway, so I think they're perfect."

She detected another sigh and waited.

"Before you moved in, I pulled out some money from my savings account and stashed it. I didn't want you to notice it going missing."

She lifted her head and gasped.

"You planned this over a year ago?!"

"Well, yeah. I figured I'd do it eventually."

She suddenly sat up straighter and continued to open and close her mouth in silence. As she did so, he began to chuckle.

"Well, don't act so surprised. You _were_ moving in, you know."

"You were thinking about marriage back then?"

He shrugged again and lifted his eyebrows while pursing his lips. She began to laugh and shake her head as Sophie decided to transfer herself to her lap.

"But I'm not completely perfect. The first ring was a diamond. But I was an idiot and didn't consult you, so once I found out you didn't like diamonds, I returned it. Took me until fairly recently to find this one."

Annie stilled and her eyes went wide once again. "I told you that in _December_!"

"Well yeah."

"You had a diamond ring in _December_?!"

Placing a kiss to her temple, he replied, "Yup. But even I knew that was probably a bit premature. I just didn't like all that cash sitting around. Sooner or later Abed have wanted to use it for some bank heist film, and we all know how that would have ended…"

She shushed him and pulled him down into a deep kiss. As she felt his body relax, she allowed herself to fall into it completely, barely registering Sophie's movements as she slid off her lap. She felt Jeff move in even closer and allowed him to begin to run his fingers through her hair.

" _Kissy kissy."_

Jeff groaned and stopped. He then placed one chaste kiss on Annie's lips. Pressing his forehead onto hers, he said, "But just so you know, I can't take full credit for this ring. Shirley helped me."

Annie leaned back and gasped again.

He nodded. "I had the idea for the stone, but she's the one who zeroed in on this one. And she was obnoxiously proud of herself too."

"Shirley knows you were going to propose?!"

He grimaced. "Yes, and the rest of the study group, too. Speaking of, they are waiting for us, and although I am tremendously relieved that we actually got his whole proposal thing out of the way so that I can actually enjoy myself this evening, I kinda figure we owe them a show."

"Jeff!"

"There may be a horse-drawn carriage involved."

"Are you serious?!"

"Troy will be downstairs in about a half hour. But you're not supposed to know it's him until later."

"Oh my god."

x

x

x

Although they took a few minutes to sit in the glow of the after-proposal, between Sophie's exclamations and the knowledge that Lacey would be arriving within minutes, they didn't have much of a chance for everything to sink in.

They made a pact to allow the proposal evening to go along as planned, for their friends' sakes. Plus Annie may have been more than a little curious to see how everything would turn out, and Jeff didn't feel he could deprive her of that. He also repeatedly mentioned that he was now freed up to have a fun evening, without keeping an eye on a ring box in his pocket.

They did decide to fill Lacey in upon her arrival, but that was merely for practical purposes, as Sophie was chattering on about her mommy crying and the ring and her daddy on his knees.

"You guys, that is wonderful! Congratulations!" Lacey pulled them both into a hug and promised her secrecy.

They said goodbye to a frowning Sophie but noticed with relief when she appeared intrigued by the contents of Lacey's duffel bag, out of which was sticking a coloring book.

Walking down the hallway hand-in-hand, Jeff mused, "I would have thought the first person I'd tell would be my mom."

Annie stopped suddenly and turned toward him. "We should call her!"

Jeff shook his head. "Not now. We have a tight schedule." He lifted his watch up. "We have five minutes to get downstairs and into the limo."

"I thought it was a carriage?"

"Annie, Annie, Annie. Leave everything to me." He cocked a brow at her and smirked.

She rolled her eyes and they resumed walking toward the door.

Jeff couldn't help but feel reassured as she squeezed his hand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Annie managed to keep a straight face as she and Jeff were escorted into the limo by a familiar figure. It appeared their driver was a young black man with a rather large mustache and spectacles. He didn't enunciate very clearly or there may have been the hint of an Italian accent, but Annie didn't pay it much mind. She exchanged bemused glances with Jeff, who continued to appear more relaxed as he muttered something to the chauffer and then joined Annie in the backseat. The chauffeur's back window was closed, which afforded them some privacy.

She leaned in and whispered, "Can he hear us?"

"You know what, I have no clue. Let's be on the safe side."

She giggled. "Okay."

She took a moment to appreciate the interior, her eyes then fixating on an iced bottle of champagne.

"Jeff!"

He lifted the glistening bottle and, with a cock of his brow, said, "It's our anniversary. Let's just pop this open."

Although they decided not to finish the bottle – after all, they wanted to actually remember their dinner and the rest of the evening - they enjoyed a toast followed by a make out as their giddy chauffer took his time in driving them around.

X

X

X

Dinner was quieter and delicious. Jeff had booked the same table they sat in two years prior at the Italian bistro. Having some time out of the chauffer's earshot, Annie leaned forward with a grin.

"So, we're engaged."

Jeff laughed and shrugged. "I guess we are."

She noted his twinkling eyes and felt herself blush. Lifting the ring once again, she let it capture the light as she sighed wistfully.

"I really love it. Thank you."

"I'm just relieved you said yes."

She startled and looked over at him with a gasp. "Of course I said yes!"

He shrugged again but smiled slightly.

"Jeff, we've talked about this! We both agreed we'd get married at some point."

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to do it anytime soon."

She squinted at him. "Seriously? I was talking about having a baby with you."

"Oh, but that was just you panicking."

"Not completely. I meant that I saw us being serious. And being engaged feels right."

"Yeah, it does."

She nodded and glanced back down at her menu, attempting to calm her dizzying thoughts so that she could select her dinner. As her attempts were thwarted, she sighed and looked back up to see Jeff watching her.

She asked perhaps with more intensity then she had planned, "When should we get married?"

He smirked and placed his elbows on the table so that he could cradle his chin. He appeared amused by her enthusiasm.

"I suppose we could do it whenever we wanted."

She bit her lip and ducked her head coyly while still clutching the menu.

"When do you want to?"

"Well, I suppose we need some time to plan. If the chauffeur doesn't keep the 'tip' I gave him earlier, that will at least buy us part of a flower bouquet."

She chuckled and placed her hand near her mouth in an attempt to regain her composure. Jeff leaned over and grabbed her free hand, which just happened to be the one with the ring. He began to massage it and let his thumb linger on the center stone. She watched as he regarded it and appeared to contemplate something.

"Maybe we should ask Sophie. She might have an opinion."

"I'm not sure if she knows what a wedding is."

"Sure she does. She went to Shirley and Andre's wedding just a few months ago. She knows it's a party where we celebrate two people being all 'kissy kissy.'"

"Then she'll want us to marry tomorrow."

"I would, but I want you to have the party you deserve."

"Jeff, we can't afford a lot. Not until you go back to full time work, and even then it'll be awhile before you're earning more."

He mentally noted her sad tone and shook his head. "I don't think we should wait until then. There's probably some way, between us and our friends, we can manage a decent wedding."

Annie nodded and let a few tears fall down her cheek. "June?"

"Perfect."

"And Sophie can be the flower girl?"

"She can, but I also think she should be right by our side when we say our _I dos_."

"Awww!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After a scrumptious meal, they made their way back outside. Jeff had taken her hand and escorted her out to the curb. She felt her curiosity grow as she noticed the absence of the limo.

"Did Troy park it somewhere else?" She glanced up and down the street.

"I think you meant _the chauffeur_."

"Okay, fine. _The chauffeur._ "

Jeff laughed and took out his phone, quickly typing a text before shoving it back into his pocket.

"You're not going to tell me what's next?"

"Let me romance you."

"You already are, Mister Cheese."

He suppressed a grin as he mumbled, "You love the cheese."

"I do."

He cast her a flirtatious look before they were both startled by the clomping of hooves.

"Your carriage, milady."

X

X

X

Their carriage, which was pulled by two beautiful horses, was operated by a slender dark-skinned gentleman with a rather large black top hat and huge red beard. Annie stifled her laughter as Jeff pinched her sides.

Turns out the carriage driver was German, as he explained to them in a heavy accent that his red beard was due to an ancestor who had immigrated from Ireland, having fled the potato famine.

"It seems like a complicated back story."

Jeff shushed Annie's whispers and encouraged her to take in the scenery. He was pleased when she oohed and ahhhed in what he suspected was a genuine way at the sights. The driver took them down the quieter lanes of Greendale, stopping at some places to point out various monuments of interest.

"Dat is da vater vountain, yah."

At their nods, he persisted, "Id ib very vomantic."

Jeff felt the piercing stare of the German on him, so he proceeded to assist Annie in alighting from the carriage and escorted her to the water fountain. When they reached it, she giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"He's a lunatic." 

"A lunatic who loves us."

"Yeah. I'm not sure if that's a German accent though."

Jeff leaned down and kissed her.

It was mere moments later that Annie heard the carriage operator approach and hand Jeff something behind his back. Intrigued, she stepped back and watched as he produced a bouquet of purple lilacs.

"Awww!"

X

X

X

Eventually they made their way toward the east, Annie smiling down at her flowers and sniffing them while holding Jeff's hand. As they got closer to their destination, her eyes widened.

"Are we going to campus?!"

"Patience. I told you it would be a surprise."

She continued to look back and forth between Jeff and the road, mouth half-open in wonder as they turned into the campus parking lot.

This time, the carriage operator alit and opened the door, urging Annie in various unintelligible words to place her bouquet down on the seat before assisting her in exiting. He then turned to discreetly accept a tip from Jeff.

Jeff sighed in annoyance but handed over the cash. He then offered his arm to Annie and escorted her down the main campus path, which was littered with purple petals.

She looked up at him in wonder but he merely raised his eyebrows and urged her to continue to follow him. As they proceeded, she realized the path was illuminated on both sides by battery-powered lanterns.

"Jefff…"

"We're almost there."

He smiled as he heard her suppressed squeal.

As they neared the library, she fully became aware of the plan. Of course. It was where they first met – her, Jeff, and Sophie. She attempted to contain her reaction and decided to let him proceed in completely wooing her.

He let go of her arm and then took one step upward. He turned and reached out for her hand. She nodded and accepted, allowing him to guide her up to the platform.

At the top was a small bench, draped with a purple cloth. A bouquet of purple lilacs was placed in the center, carefully wrapped in a cloth with a large purple bow. Annie smiled as she picked it up and at Jeff's urging sat on the bench.

His hands in his pockets and looking up at the sky, he mumbled, "I should have listened and put them in the limo."

"Hmm?"

He looked back down at her and shrugged. "Now you're holding a bouquet."

"I love it."

He smiled and dropped to one knee. With a nod, she knew she needed to lean in, and he whispered something to her and she discreetly allowed him to pull the ring off her finger.

Holding the ring aloft, Jeff cleared his throat. Annie was aware of some rustling behind her and the faint sounds of a violin playing. She arched a brow and Jeff gave her a stern look, so she bit her lip and waited.

He looked into her eyes and began,

"Annie Edison, I love you, and I think I've loved you in some way since the moment we met. That moment on these very steps, that night we all came together for the first time, is something I won't ever forget. You were determined and beautiful. And your child, who I now think of as our child, was the most adorable little human I've ever seen. I may not have known then how much the two of you would impact my life, but I knew something had changed. I'm forever grateful that you decided to give me a chance after all my early stupidity. We were both scared, but somehow we made it work. And I want to keep working hard with you on building a life together."

Annie wiped a tear from her eye.

"Anna Elizabeth Edison, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes."

As Jeff slipped the ring on her finger and they embraced, Shirley's angelic voice began to the accompaniment of the violin:

" _Love is not a place  
To come and go as we please  
It's a house we enter in  
And then commit  
To never leave_

 _So lock the door behind you  
Throw away the key  
We'll work it out together  
Let it bring us to our knees_

 _Love is a shelter  
In a raging storm  
Love is peace  
In the middle of a war  
If we try to leave  
May God send angels  
To guard the door  
No, love is not a fight  
But it's something worth fighting for_

 _To some love is a word  
That they can fall into  
But when they're falling out  
Keeping their word is hard to do_

 _Love is a shelter  
In a raging storm  
Love is peace  
In the middle of a war  
If we try to leave  
May God send angels  
To guard the door  
No, love is not a fight  
But it's something worth fighting for*"_

Annie and Jeff's eyes widened as Jeff whispered, "Sorry. I had no idea she was going to sing a Christian song."

Annie giggled and whispered back, "It's okay. I wouldn't have expected anything else from Shirley. It's her way of saying she loves us."

The music stopped, and Shirley, Pierce, and Britta, who had been behind the pillars the entire time, soon joined them. Annie and Jeff rose and greeted their friends, Annie hugging Britta and whispering her thanks at her impeccable planning, for she knew a Britta proposal when she saw one. Britta blushed slightly and muttered something before stepping back and allowing Shirley to clasp Annie and Jeff into a steady hug.

"Congratulations, you two! The lord is smiling today!"

"Thanks, Shirley."

"Yeah, thanks. And good song."

Shirley stepped back and preened a little at Jeff's comment. "I picked it out especially for tonight, to bring you two happiness."

They smiled and turned toward Pierce, who was holding a violin at his side.

Annie exclaimed, "Pierce! I had no idea you could play!"

"Oh, this old thing? I've done a little fiddling in my time."

"Um hmmm."

Annie shot Shirley a glare before she turned back to Pierce. "I knew you were musical, but this was amazing!" She reached over and hugged him. Jeff followed with an awkward handshake before Pierce pulled him into a side hug.

They were then joined by Abed and Troy, dressed in fashionable ties, dress pants, and sweater vests. Jeff tried to distract himself from the traces of glue on their faces and went right over to them and embraced them.

"You guys rock."

Annie watched the display, and after exchanging bemused looks with Britta, walked over to them and asked to cut in.

As she squeezed Abed and Troy, she exclaimed, "I love you guys! Where have you been?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the proposal, they all decided to go for milkshakes at the Shake Shack near campus, where Pavel was keeping it open late for them as a special favor. Jeff briefly wondered how many jobs Pavel had. They gathered around the large circular booth, Jeff and Annie in the center with Jeff's arm draped around her.

As Annie showed off her ring to Troy and Abed and Shirley provided Pierce with feedback on his accompaniment abilities, Britta raised her milkshake in the air and caught Jeff's eye.

He smiled sincerely at her and gave a nod. He barely blinked when Ian slid up a chair next to her and saluted him.

Annie suddenly stopped her animated discussion with Trobed and yanked on Jeff's jacket. He raised a brow.

"We have to call your mother!"

He glanced at his watch. "It's after eleven. She's asleep."

Annie frowned. "I suppose. But we'll call her first thing tomorrow?"

"Of course." He paused for a moment before he added, "What about your parents? And Anthony?"

She smiled tightly before placing a kiss on his cheek. "I'll figure that out later. Let's just celebrate with our friends."

They spent another hour at the Shake Shack, during which Annie heard all about the planning involved in making the night happen. She gave Jeff a hand squeeze under the table, as they both knew they had done the right thing in allowing their friends to witness 'the proposal.'

"Bloody congratulations, Mr. Winger and soon to be Mrs. Winger!"

They all raised their shakes as Annie exclaimed, "Edison-Winger!"

Jeff grinned and took in the sight of his fiancé.

Annie turned to meet his gaze, appreciating this moment, locking it away in her memory.

xxxxxxxx

* Warren Barfield, "Love is Not a Fight"

A/N: I'll be away next week for a bit, so apologies if the next chapter is delayed.


	11. Intro to Announcements

**Chapter 11: Intro to Announcements**

Summary: Annie and Jeff begin to share the news of their engagement

A/N: Apologies for the delay. I struggled with how to edit this section and ended up splitting it into two chapters. Enjoy part one!

xxxxxx

Annie snuggled into Jeff's side as the morning light fell through the windows. For a moment, she thought she had dreamt the events of the night before, but as she regained her senses, she felt the metal of the ring with her other hand and knew it was all true.

They were engaged.

The memories of the previous night swirled in her brain. She recalled the intimate true proposal as well as the almost fantastical official public event, and although she did prefer the first one, she marveled at the efforts Jeff made in order to ensure a special evening. After they had bid goodnight to their friends, they made their way back home, buzzing with the excitement of being official.

Despite not really changing anything, the engagement changed everything.

It changed the way they exited Troy's car (the limo was returned earlier). It changed the way they walked hand in hand down the corridor to their apartment. It changed the way they undressed each other in the light glow of their bedroom lamps. It changed the way they explored each other and finally made love.

They were officially a unit now. They were going to do this. They were committing, both fully and completely in this.

She smiled as she contemplated waking him up in a very special way. She shifted her weight and maneuvered her left leg over his right, letting her left hand reach under the soft sheets to graze his chest…

" _Id wake up time, Mama!"_

She stilled and lifted her head to see Sophie flat against Jeff's t-shirt-clad chest, her thumb still wet from where she had likely been sucking it up until a moment ago.

She squeaked, "Good morning, sweetie."

She moved her leg back and, realizing with some self-consciousness that she was naked, grabbed the top sheet and sat up, laughing as she spied Ruffles near Jeff's feet. The dog raised her head and made her way over, licking her face when Annie tucked the sheet underneath her arms and bent down to nuzzle her.

"Oh, hey."

She watched as Jeff's eyes popped open and marveled at his stillness as he continued to hold Sophie to his chest.

"Good morning, fiancé."

He smirked and returned the greeting with a groggy, "Good morning, fiancé."

"That's going to get obnoxious, isn't it?"

"Probably."

She nudged Ruffles back toward the end of the bed and resumed curling up at Jeff's side. This time she placed her hand on Sophie's back and felt her steady breathing.

At her unasked question, Jeff explained, "She had a nightmare."

"Oh no."

"She's okay. Aren't you, munchkin?"

" _Yeah, Daddy."_

Sophie smiled weakly before replacing her thumb in her mouth and closing her eyes.

Annie rubbed Sophie's back, her brows furrowed in concern. "And Ruffles?"

"They're inseparable. What was I to do?"

She knew that, despite Jeff's adamant stance the dog was never to be on their bed, he didn't seem to be minding the current situation that much. She placed a kiss on his cheek.

Indicating Sophie with her head, she said, "You referred to her as a little human."

"Hm?"

"Sophie. You said she was _the most adorable little human_ you'd ever met."

Jeff smirked as he remembered the exact words from his proposal speech the evening before. He attempted a half shrug from his reclined position.

"Well, she is."

Annie widened her eyes as she looked up at him. She let her leg graze against his.

"And you used her actual name earlier in the evening right before you really proposed. There was no mention of _hobbits_ or _munchkins_."

Jeff yawned and closed his eyes. He explained calmly, "I've used her name before. I might have even referred to her as a _human_ at some point."

Deciding not to draw any more attention to it, Annie placed another kiss on his cheek. She whispered, "I can't believe we're engaged."

She caught his gaze as his eyes flickered open. She waited, sensing a hesitancy on his part, feeling his body tense slightly. She knew the signs by now. He had something on his mind.

After a few moments of silence, he allowed his eyes to open more fully. He glanced down at Sophie, who now appeared to be sleeping peacefully on his chest, and then said in a low voice, "I'm very happy we're engaged."

Annie watched as a hint of a tear formed near the corner of his left eye.

His voice catching, he continued, "You have no idea how much it means to me to have us be an official family. I can't wait to be her stepfather."

Annie found herself startling at his disclosure. Her eyes widening, she propped herself up on one arm and studied his face.

She whispered, "But I thought…"

Holding onto Sophie with his right hand, he reached out with the other and patted her firmly on her thigh.

"I'm good with stepfather. I understand. I don't want to put that decision on you. We can still be a family."

"I meant it when I said… I can talk to Adam and we can discuss it."

She watched as he turned his head toward her and let out a long sigh.

"Stepfathers are cool, right? Or are they lame? But at any rate, I'd be a pretty cool stepfather, I think."

"You're a pretty awesome _daddy_."

His eyes flickered a moment before he rolled his head back to its original position and stared at the ceiling.

X

X

About fifteen minutes later, they roused themselves enough for Jeff to take Ruffles out for a quick walk while Annie attended to Sophie and settled her in front of the bedroom television with a plate of sliced bananas. She had taken one long look at the flowers in the vase on their dresser before she quickly picked out a decent skirt and her favorite lavender blouse and popped into the bathroom, making sure to keep the door open should Sophie need her.

She heard Jeff enter the apartment and whipped her head away from the bathroom mirror where she had been attempting some semblance of a half-updo, clips in hand. She scuttled into the living room and watched as Jeff unleashed Ruffles and then filled up her water and food dishes for the day.

He glanced up from the kibble and said, "You can hop in the shower now while I make sure the hobbity one stays out of mischief."

"We should go to Denver."

He stood and furrowed his brow, noticing she had made the decision to skip the shower and was dressed Annie-style and likely Dorie-visiting style.

She added, her hands together, "Let's tell your mom in person!"

He knew there was no stopping Annie soon-to-be-Edison-Winger. Plus he may have also wanted to see his mother's face when she heard the news.

He smiled and cocked his head. "She's going to be obnoxiously happy."

"She will be."

X

X

X

After Jeff had called his mother to see if she were free, they headed for Denver. Upon their arrival, Dorie gave them all hugs and then promptly grabbed Sophie and hauled her off into the house. Jeff and Annie chuckled to each other as they made sure to gather Sophie's backpack and Ruffles' doggie toys and snacks from the car.

As Jeff and Annie entered the house, Dorie looked up from her spot next to Sophie as they pieced together a large jigsaw puzzle, which was spread across the floor. Ruffles was busy trotting in front of a sleepy looking Hank over in the corner. Hank immediately perked up when he smelled Jeff and stretched before coming over and slamming his head into Jeff's knee.

"I'm so happy you all came over. What a nice surprise."

Jeff bent down to scratch Hank while Annie smiled and placed the backpack and other bag on the bench near the door. Dorie watched curiously as Annie continued to grin and joined them in the living room, sitting down on the sofa. She cast a look over at Jeff and noticed he was continuing to pet Hank while exchanging looks with Annie.

Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Oh, don't keep me in suspense. Tell me."

Jeff bit his lip and then stood and joined Annie on the couch. Dorie turned from her spot to face them, and Sophie wandered over to Houston, who was scrunching up his body under the end table in an attempt to hide from Ruffles.

Jeff took a deep breath and took Annie's right hand, giving it a squeeze. They exchanged excited yet nervous glances.

"Mom, we have some news, and we wanted to tell you in person."

Dorie raised her brow and immediately glanced at Annie's left hand. Upon seeing the three purple stones and not registering it as an engagement ring, she inadvertently scanned toward her belly.

Jeff didn't miss that and, feeling slightly irritated by that assumption, pressed on with a tight smile, "We're engaged."

Immediately, Dorie let out a squeal both Annie and Jeff hadn't ever heard before, and before they knew it, she had pounced to her knees and was pulling them both into a hug. Sophie attempted to join in, pushing her way into the middle of the huddle while the dogs and Houston joined her.

X

"This is the best news I could have gotten. You two…" Dorie shook her head and sniffed as she sat next to Annie on the couch.

" _Why everybody cying?"_

Dorie smiled down at Sophie and hoisted her onto her lap. She placed a kiss on her cheek and explained, "Because we're happy."

Sophie pouted and looked up at her grandmother with wide eyes. _"Bud cying sad."_

"Sometimes people cry when they're happy, too. "

" _Like mama."_ Sophie turned toward Annie and lightly touched her arm. She added, _"Mama cy und Daddy go you sooo pwetty und I lub you und here wing."_

Jeff snorted at this fairly accurate summation of the private proposal.

They then explained to Dorie that Sophie had foiled Jeff's plans and ended up helping him propose. At this news, Dorie gave Sophie another kiss and told her she had helped so much, and Sophie beamed with pride.

After Annie took Sophie into the kitchen to help make sandwiches, Dorie scooted over to her son and gave him another hug.

"You realize by us all praising her for rifling through my bedside drawer we've virtually guaranteed she will be headed for a life of crime."

Ignoring this comment, Dorie said, "I'm very happy for you two. Good job."

As they pulled out of the embrace, Jeff smiled sheepishly and then resumed petting Hank as Ruffles cocked her head and stared at him in indignation.

"Thanks."

Her eyes twinkling, Dorie mused, "I had no idea you were ready to propose. Was this something you'd been planning for awhile?"

He shrugged and kept his eyes on the back of Hank's head. "Annie and I had talked about it here and there. It seemed like a good time, before my final year at Greendale."

"June is it? For the wedding?"

He sighed, "We have a lot to figure out, but that's the tentative plan. It'll be right after my graduation."

Dorie leaned over and scooped up a neglected Ruffles.

She hesitated for a moment but then said carefully, "It means a lot to me that you came over to tell me in person. I haven't seen you since Sophie's birthday party."

Jeff shifted his position and grimaced but remained steadfast in assuring that Hank had the best ear scratch in his entire life.

At his silence, Dorie asked, "Well?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we okay, dear?"

"Yeah, of course."

They sat awkwardly for some moments while they each pet their respective fur creatures. As Dorie was in the middle of telling Ruffles what a cute doggie she was, Jeff blurted,

"Why didn't you date Buzz?"

Dorie stilled and, after a slight pause, explained without making eye contact, "I already explained it. He's the marrying kind. He's had two wives."

"So?"

She turned toward him and let out an exasperated sigh. "Again, as I already told you, I won't marry again."

"But you date, right?"

"Jeffrey."

"Mom."

She let out another long sigh and continued to scratch Ruffles underneath the chin.

"If you must know, yes. But I only spend time with men who aren't looking for anything serious."

Jeff winced and let his hands drop from Hank's ears. Ignoring the butting of his knees, he leaned back and draped his hand over the back of the sofa so that he could rest his head on his hand. He took a moment to study his mother as she once again averted her gaze and attended to Ruffles. He was cognizant of the fine lines around her piercing blue eyes and the fastidious way in which she arranged her practical layered bob. It had been a similar hairstyle for many years since his childhood but somehow she always managed to update it so it never looked stale.

Sometimes he forgot time was passing and that his mother was getting older.

With a slight edge to his voice, he ventured, "Maybe it would be a good idea for you to find someone you could spend more time with, consistently."

Appearing slightly flustered, Dorie shook her head. "Now why on earth would you…"

He decided to just fess up to it.

"I used to do the same thing. I hooked up with a lot of women, most of them only interested in a fling. There were two exceptions before Annie; one I chickened out after six months and the other, well you remember the whole Michelle fiasco."

Dorie calmly placed a disappointed Ruffles on the floor and turned completely to face him. She cleared her throat and blushed slightly.

"I didn't realize you had such an um, _checkered_ romantic past."

Jeff smiled tightly and ran his hand through his hair. Remembering his most recent therapy session, figured he might as well continue.

"I'm not proud of it. But it was easy, and it made me less likely to focus on the hollow feeling in my soul."

"Jeffrey."

"Mom."

She groaned and gave the back pillow a light smack. "I do _not_ feel hollow in my soul."

He frowned and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

He then said, "That's not what I meant. All I'm saying is if you're keeping away from a relationship with someone because you're concerned about how it would impact me, please don't worry about it. I want you to be happy."

She took a few moments to take in what he had said. With a squint of her eyes, she remarked, "You're a grown man. _I_ would rather not get too involved with anyone, and that is my choice and for my own reasons."

"Mom, I…"

"Let's celebrate your engagement. I don't want to talk about his anymore."

Stunned by her abruptness, Jeff found himself immediately wishing to appease her. There was something in her tone he hadn't ever recalled noticing before, a harshness with an undercurrent of pain and regret.

He nodded slowly and, noticing redness around her eyes, said, "I'm sorry. That was presumptuous of me. Just because I got up the nerve to ask the lady of my dreams to marry me doesn't excuse me for being an ass."

His heart rate slowed as his mother smirked and, while keeping her eyes on the scuffling between Ruffles and Houston, replied, "That's right, dear. I raised you better than that. Not everyone needs to go coupling up just because you're finally happy with someone. But I'll let it go because you're my son and it's about time you settled down."

"Thanks, mom."

"Annie's just perfect for you. I love her and Sophie so much."

He nodded slowly and let a smile form for the first time in several minutes.

"Me too."

He watched as his mother straightened up slightly and turned to face him more directly. There was mischievous glint in her eye.

"So, did anything in particular spur this engagement?"

He frowned. "Huh?"

She leaned forward and explained, "Jeffrey, we all heard what Sophie said at her party. I know you both brushed it off, but now that you're here, well I'm thinking there's something to it after all. And this is something you should definitely tell me."

He groaned and closed his eyes. "Mom. No."

"I won't be judgmental, you know."

Opening his eyes, Jeff regarded her with annoyance. "We are not expecting, okay? And of course I would tell you. If it were true. But it is not."

He continued his stare to drive home the point.

Her face faltered slightly and she said, "Oh. Well, I'm sorry I made that assumption."

"You know, I can ask Annie to marry me without it being because she's knocked up. Maybe I asked her because I don't know…maybe I love her? Could it be that?"

"Now stop being sarcastic."

"I'm mildly offended."

"Now you sound like Buzz."

They both caught their breaths and stilled for several moments. Dorie bit her lip and added in a lowered voice, "That's just something he tends to say. My, I'm doing so well today, aren't I?"

She began to mock fan herself as she winced.

Jeff bobbed his head. "It's fine….Look, it's important to me that you know I've changed my mind on the whole marriage thing. I never saw it for myself, not until Annie and I started to get more serious."

She smiled slightly and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm not surprised. There's Sophie after all. I'm sure you want to be more connected to her."

His eyes widening, Jeff asked, "How did you…?"

"I know you, dear. Even when you don't think I do. You love that little girl so much, and as much as it warms your heart when she calls you daddy, it'll be so much better when you can be legally connected."

She was almost startled by her son's watering eyes. She squeezed his hand once again and added, "This will be a good thing."

His voice wavering, Jeff said in a whisper, "Annie hasn't decided if she'll actually let me…well, nevermind. I think being her stepfather will be fine."

With a reassuring nod, Dorie said, "It will be just fine."


	12. Advanced Announcements

**Chapter 12: Advanced Announcements**

Summary: Annie confronts some complicated feelings

After a pleasant lunch at Dorie's, they headed back to Greendale. Annie called Nancy from the car and shared the news, giggling at various exclamations Jeff couldn't hear. But he didn't mind. She was happy and he could tell Nancy was thrilled. An offer was extended for them all to come over and see baby Elizabeth again and low-key celebrate.

Jeff made sure to avoid mention of Annie's family until Sophie was settled down for a nap at home.

In answer to his question, Annie rocked on her heels near the kitchen doorway, her voice wavering. "I guess it's time."

Jeff regarded her with understanding. They both knew telling his mother and Nancy would be the easy part. She was stalling in informing her family, and he assumed it was because of Anthony. He had a sneaking suspicion Rachel wouldn't mind in the least. Of course, Annie had spent the last few years defining herself in opposition to her mother and he knew she was always a little bit irked that Rachel seemed to like him; a part of him wondered if she was holding off on telling Rachel precisely because she _would_ be approve.

He managed to convey with complete confidence, "It'll be fine."

"Maybe."

"Who's first?"

She shrugged. "Maybe my dad?"

That answer surprised him. He had been under the impression that Annie would have wanted her brother to know before the ever-detached Paul Edison.

He eyed her skeptically. "Your dad?"

She looked at him with wide eyes, her head tilted.

"Yeah."

"And you want to tell him first because…"

"I don't know. I just want to."

He nodded to convey understanding, even if he didn't.

She then frowned absentmindedly and walked over to the dining table and picked up her laptop. "I'm going to Skype him. It's a weekend, so I'm hoping he's around."

Jeff watched her go into their bedroom and shut the door. Feeling a bit lost, he pulled out his phone.

X

X

A little while later, Annie emerged with a slight smile. Jeff returned her expression from his spot on the couch where he was lying lazily on the teal throw pillow and flipping through the skiing brochure.

"I take it he was happy for us?"

Her expression faltered for a moment before she appeared to collect herself and sit down next to him.

With a very light swat she explained, "Holly called me. You're such a goof."

He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Hey, you were calling your family, and there's not much to mine. So I thought…"

She interrupted, leaning over him and planting a soft kiss on his lips. He let the brochure drop to the floor and held her on top of him, gazing up at her with a sense of relief. While he couldn't control how the conversation went with her father, he knew he could nudge Holly to give her a call.

"Thank you. She's really happy for us."

"Yeah, she told me."

She took a moment to regard him with bemusement. "That was really sweet of you."

He feigned a scoff and looked off toward the side.

He then mumbled, "I may have texted Mark and Thanos. There was an _Opa!_ and a _Congratulations_! I'll let you guess who said what. If you win you get to do anything you want to me in the bedroom."

He turned his gaze back to her and watched as her eyes narrowed in a not very serious way.

He ventured, "How was your call?"

Her smile tightened as she slowly sat up. He followed her lead and scooted back on the pillow so that he was semi-seated.

"He seemed a little surprised, actually."

"Really?"

She elaborated, "He wanted to be sure this was something I wanted. Of course I explained to him that it is and that you and I are already a family and that getting married would make it official. I told him how happy you make me."

Jeff nodded and waited.

She continued, her voice faltering, "I didn't really get a congratulations from him. More of a resignation. He did say he hoped I'd be happy."

Jeff watched her very Annie attempts to muster a smile but could feel her disappointment. He wondered what the hell was wrong with her father. The only thing he could manage to say in the moment was admittedly pretty lame.

"That sucks."

She shrugged and let out a nervous laugh. "Well, he doesn't know you. He probably has more than one reason to question my judgment."

Jeff roused himself to sit up fully and move closer to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, gazing intently into her eyes, and harnessing his inner Winger, he said, "No one gets to question your judgment. You're Annie Edison. You've had to make many hard decisions in the past few years, and you've made every one of them with a maturity and wisdom that he certainly didn't teach you. I question _his_ judgment. If he wants to meet me, he can come here and do that. He doesn't get to criticize you and sit back and pretend that everything's normal between you."

"Jeff…."

He kept his eyes on hers and, noticing the spark of something there, felt relieved. He added, "I'm serious."

She smiled softly, this time genuinely.

"Thank you for having my back."

"Always."

x

x

Rachel and Anthony were next.

Annie had taken a few minutes to gather up the energy it always took when she called her mother. Having been estranged for so long, it was still surreal to pick up the phone and call her, and despite a few occasions in which she did so over the past few months, it still didn't feel natural.

But that heavy feeling was familiar. That had always been present in their interactions. She had a strong urge to either take a nap or run around the block in order to wake herself up.

She snapped her attention back to the reason for making this call. She had to tell her mother. And more importantly, she needed to share the news with Anthony. She wasn't sure how he'd take it. His relationship with Jeff was still precarious and despite her hearing that he seemed to have had a good time playing D&D the other night with Jeff, Abed, Neil, Magnitude, and Vicky (Troy and Britta had excused themselves and come over to play with Sophie), part of her was nervous about impeding any progress.

Sitting on their bed with the door closed, she texted her mother to see if it might be a good time to talk about something important. The positive reply was almost instantaneous, as was the call back.

She jumped as her phone chimed. She clumsily hit the talk button and pressed the phone to her ear.

"What is it, sweetie?"

At the sound of her mother's voice, she gulped and felt an unnerving urge to pop an Adderall. Ignoring her inner self-judgments, she responded with a slightly shaky edge to her voice,

"Hi mom. Is this a good time to talk for a minute?"

"Of course. I called you."

"Um, okay."

She paused, unsure of how to proceed.

"Is there something wrong?"

Annie shook herself yet again and gave herself an inner pep talk. This was a simple thing to do. Her mother would probably be happy. After all, she adored Jeff. And then she could move on to telling her brother.

Gritting her teeth, she explained, "Nothing's wrong. I have good news, actually. Jeff proposed to me last night. I said yes."

Remembering Dorie's assumption, which Jeff had shared with her, she added for good measure, "And no, I'm not pregnant."

There was an uncharacteristic pause on the other end. Being used to her mother jumping manically into conversations, she didn't know what to think. Just as she was about to inquire, her mother replied.

"Oh, thank god."

"Mom?"

Letting out a long sigh, Rachel said, "I am so relieved to hear it. This will be so much better. You'll have some security."

Annie rolled her eyes, thankful her mother couldn't see her face. "I thought you liked Jeff?"

"He's adorable!"

"I thought you'd be happy for us."

"Oh, I am, sweetie! Congratulations!"

Attempting to stay on the positive side, Annie replied, but with an inadvertent edge to her voice, "Thank you. I'm really happy, mom."

She caught her mother's second sigh.

"Now Anna, don't be difficult about this. I am very happy to hear you two are engaged. I like Jeff very much. I was merely thinking that you two living together didn't really help if for some reason things went badly; you wouldn't be entitled to any financial compensation if you two started to build a financial base together once he graduates, sweetie."

"I'm not with Jeff because of his earning potential. I love him."

"Of course you do. And I am very aware of his other redeeming, um, qualities."

Annie cringed as her mother continued,

"I'm merely concerned for your well-being. You know what happened to me."

Annie pursed her lips but managed, "Dad paid child support. And anyway, that has nothing to do with Jeff and me…"

\- "He did. But your idiot ex-Idiot doesn't pay you much, and from my conversations with his father the Dr. Idiot lately, he won't be contributing much for the next few years. So the Dr. Idiot is planning to make some deposits for you, but none of that is official, sweetie, and you can't count on any of it. And don't get me started on the injustice of that cocaine-snorting Idiot being able to go off to graduate school in a prestigious program while you have to raise his child and go to community college while working for that odd little smooth man…."

-"Mom! You talked to Dr. Wellson?!" Annie sat there in almost horror.

There was a pause on the other end.

"Of course I did. We need to make sure the Idiot does the right thing."

Annie took a deep breath and counted to five. She tried for ten but didn't quite manage that far.

"I don't need or want you to get involved in my arrangement with Adam. I have a good lawyer, a friend of Jeff's actually, and he's been really helpful."

"Oh. Well, I apologize."

Annie's eyes widened in disbelief. She stood and began pacing around the room, her brain attempting to do quick interpersonal calculations so as to determine what her mother's angle was. Rachel Edelstein Edison never apologizes. Unless it was to Jeff. She most definitely apologizes to Jeff. Or if Jeff prods her to apologize. Part of her wondered if Jeff had been tapping into their conversation and was texting her mother responses.

"Well, okay then. Please don't do it again."

"Now I won't have to, sweetie."

"I don't understand."

Another sigh. "Jeff is going to adopt Sophie, isn't he? And if your marriage blows up, _not that I'm saying it will of course, but you know these things often do_ , he'll make sure she's provided for. And my guess is he'd show up for regular visits and probably want shared custody. That's exactly the kind of father she needs."

Annie plopped back down on the bed and attempted to calm her heart rate, which for some reason had begun to accelerate during her mother's rational explanation.

It was so damn rational.

And for some reason she was furious.

"Mom, I don't want to discuss this with you."

"He _is_ adopting her?"

"I told you I don't want to talk about this."

"I'm sure if you haven't discussed it, you will. Or I could help, if you'd like. I like to think Jeff and I are friends. I would be more than happy to bring it up, as if I was merely asking a question if you prefer. I'm sure if he hasn't said anything it's because he thinks for some reason you don't want him to. But I can just…"

-"Mom. No."

x

x

Annie eventually managed to get her mother off the phone. She then called Anthony and after an affected breezy check-in, told him her news.

"I wanted you to know right away. Jeff and I are engaged."

She busied herself with smoothing the comforter on the bed as she awaited his reaction. After a few moments, he responded.

"You're getting married?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

She let out a breath, acknowledging to herself that the conversation thus far was going far better than she expected. She replied, "We're thinking of next summer, after the end of the school year. He proposed to me last night, so we haven't had much time to talk about the details, but I want you to be there. It would mean a lot to me."

Her voice cracked near the end of her sentence and she felt utterly helpless as she awaited his response.

"I guess that's cool."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And of course I'll come. If you want me there."

"Yes, I do."

"Cool…Uh… cool cool. Is there another cool?"

She let out a laugh. "It's three cools."

"Cool. Damn."

Still chuckling, she said, "I'm really happy, Anthony. Jeff's a good person. I'm hoping you two will get to know each other better."

"Yeah, I guess since you're going to marry him."

"That's right. He'll be your brother-in-law. Won't that be neat?"

There was an awkward pause, but then Anthony replied, "I guess." He then started to mutter something Annie couldn't make out, or it was something on his laptop, she couldn't be sure. She heard a clang that sounded like a stovetop pan, which made no sense.

He then asked, "Maybe I should spend more time around you guys then? Like I could come over for dinner tonight?"

Annie sat back on the bed and furrowed her brow. She hadn't expected this. Part of her had been looking forward to a quiet evening alone with Jeff and Sophie, away from their friends and finally able to talk more about their future. She had a lot she needed to talk to him about, and a lot more she needed to work out inside herself as the unexpected feelings stirred after her call with her mother.

But she didn't want to mess up anything with Anthony. It felt delicate for some reason. She decided to just agree.

"Yes, that would be nice. Maybe come over at five so you have time to play with Sophie? She goes to bed at seven thirty."

His voice perking up, Anthony said, "Yeah, that works. I'll see you."

"Okay."

She ventured out into the living room, her steps tentative. She assumed Jeff wouldn't necessarily want Anthony coming over but she figured he'd understand if she explained it to him. As she neared the couch, she heard Jeff say into his phone,

"I don't think this is a conversation for you and me to have. I've already brought the subject up with Annie."

There was a pause.

"Yes, but that's for us to work out. And it doesn't really matter anyway, I assure you that regardless of what we decide, I will take care of Sophie. I promise."

Her heart pounding, Annie leapt around in front of Jeff and gave him an incredulous stare. His eyebrows rose and he motioned with his hand something she didn't quite understand in the moment and then wrapped up the call,

"Yes, Rachel. We'll talk soon, but I have to go now."

There was a pause.

"Yes, thank you."

He placed his phone on the pillow and grimaced. Annie plopped down next to him and continued to let her eyes bear intently into his.

He stared back at her. "What?"

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before she shook her head and said, "I can't believe…no wait, I do believe it. She went right around behind my back and called you even after I explicitly asked her not to."

"Yeah, that…"

-"And you told her we've been talking about it?!"

He shrugged helplessly and continued to regard her with a mixture of irritation and guilt. "What was I supposed to say?"

She frowned and looked down, placing her own phone carefully on the coffee table.

"Maybe tell her to mind her own business?"

He let out an exasperated sigh and leaned forward, looking into her eyes with what he hoped was a reassuring expression.

"That's pretty much what I did. Only I phrased it a little more eloquently."

He took a moment and for him to notice the tears forming at the corner of her eyes, and he then felt a pang to the gut.

"Crap. I'm sorry. She took me off guard."

He moved a little closer and gave her a slight smile. She shook her head and looked down. Spying Ruthie under the coffee table, she bent over and picked her up.

As she regarded the mysteriously wet ears, she said, "You handled it well. I just… She _assumed_ you would adopt her."

"So?"

Annie suddenly stopped her examination of the stuffed creature and turned back to him, instantly noticing the openness in his face, the way in which he merely asked that question.

Her voice catching, she explained, "She said Sophie can't rely on Adam. That you would take care of her, that even if we split up for some reason you'd always take care of her, and I just…"

She leaned forward and fell into his chest. He instinctively placed his arms around her, pulling her close to him and allowing her to begin to sob.

"It's so unfair….and you…"

"Me, what?"

She managed between sniffs, "You said you'd settle for _stepfather_ , and I don't … It broke my heart when you said that, Jeff."

She continued to cry.

"It'll be okay."

X

X

X

That evening, Jeff awaited a likely awkward dinner with Anthony. Annie had managed to convey how important it was that they take advantage of any willingness on Anthony's part to be included, and Jeff begrudgingly accepted. He refrained from pointing out that her brother had been presumptuous and more than a little rude in inviting himself, as he had still been shaken by Annie's breakdown earlier.

They had a lot to talk about.

They had a hell of a lot to talk about.

And Anthony, the still-mysterious-yet-part-of-the-key-to-Annie's-happiness was coming over for dinner. But Jeff was of the strong opinion that it wouldn't be Annie's best interests to jump immediately from crying her eyes out to preparing for her brother's visit. There was a reason she had crumpled, and despite rousing herself after Sophie rejoined them, he knew she needed some nonjudgmental space to think.

Watching her as she busied herself in the kitchen with Sophie at the table and scribbling away in her coloring book, he asked,

"Do you think you should go to a meeting?"

She stopped her chopping and stilled, her eyes still on the carrots. He knew in that moment that he was on the right track. He wondered if what he witnessed a little bit ago was how she felt the day she decided to rebel completely against her mother. He knew that when Rachel pushed, a part of Annie, that fiery and protective part of her, was blinded with rage and made impulsive decisions. While he thankfully was no longer worried about the drug issue, part of him was very concerned. He did his best to push down all of his anxieties about the Sophie situation.

He stepped closer to her and waited for her to lift her eyes. When she did so, he cocked a brow and waited her response.

She mumbled, "Maybe."

"Is there one tonight?"

"I can't. Anthony."

"I can take over here. He won't be here for another hour. Go."

X

X

Annie closed the door behind her, being careful as to not make too much noise as she listened for any clues as to how the evening had started. Part of her felt guilty for leaving Jeff with the task of greeting Anthony, unsure of Anthony's genuine reaction to their engagement.

" _You do id good! Beep beep beep!"_

"Like this? Do the Blorgons like to blast little kids?"

" _Yup, dey do! Oh, no! Blue-guns! Hep! Hep, Daddy!"_

"I'm not getting involved. You'll have to outrun him, munchkin."

" _Okay. Yay!"_

Annie let out a breath of relief and stepped out of her ballet flats. As she placed them next to Jeff's shoes, she spotted Anthony's navy blue duffel bag with matching bike helmet on top. She frowned, realizing that perhaps she hadn't been clear that he was only invited to dinner, not to sleepover. Of course, she didn't actually invite him. She shook herself and figured that could wait.

She made her way into the living room and took in the sight of the back of Anthony's figure as it chased down the hallway toward Sophie's room. She spied Jeff near the kitchen counter, pouring out three sodas into tumblers while chuckling to himself.

"Hey."

He looked up at gave her a soft smile. "Hey."

She dropped her purse and keys on the side table.

"I needed that. Thank you."

He shrugged, the smile lingering.

She stepped over to him and they embraced.

Holding her tightly, he whispered, "Everything's going to be okay."

She allowed him to hold her for what felt like minutes but in reality she knew it was only a brief time. As she felt him release her, she looked up into his worried eyes and gave him a reassuring smile. He returned it and she thought about all of her jumbled feelings and thoughts regarding their own family.

She said softly, "I needed to talk over something things in a place where no one would judge me."

"I assumed."

She nodded with resolution and obtaining Jeff's nonverbal reassurance, went on the explain,

"My mom screws with my head sometimes, and I don't even think she means to. And she made so much _sense_ this time, but it was just the way she _said it_. She kept calling Adam an _idiot_ and mentioned the cocaine, and I don't know, I just felt like she didn't see my part in any of it. I was an idiot too, and I made a lot of mistakes, and I'm really ashamed. But if I told her that, she would just brush it off and start barging ahead to the future. And then part of me would just crumple up into a ball of pain."

Jeff let out a breath and looked down and their entwined hands. "I'm sorry. See, this is why I said what I said earlier about me being her…" he paused and glanced down the hallway and then whispered, "stepfather. I don't want to put you through any more."

Furrowing her brow, she asked, "Put me through what?"

He glanced up and met her gaze. "The whole making that call. That was unfair of me."

"I don't think it was. I think I've been unfair to you."

She watched his reaction, noting he kept starting to say something and then gulping, his eyes shifting off to the side. She did her best in attempting to anchor him, letting go and reaching up to place her hands on his shoulders, in the process doing her imitation of the Winger pep talk.

"We're going to figure this out, Jeff. I'm going to tell Adam about our engagement tomorrow."

He nodded, his eyes now on hers. There was still a tentativeness in his gaze which again almost broke her heart.

She added, "I'm going to invite him to see Sophie again before he moves. And I'd like to talk to him about all our options in person."

"Options?"

"We need his permission."

She knew he understood what she meant. He continued to stare at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

But she felt his palms sweat.

"Are you sure? Cause that is a huge thing."

She nodded emphatically and held her mouth firm, her chin jutting out in resolve.

"I am. I want to present it to him and see what he thinks. Of course if he's strongly against it, we'll handle it. But if he jumps at it, then I have my answer. There is no dilemma then because frankly, our daughter deserves better than that."

They continued to lock eyes as the reality of the situation sunk in. Annie's mouth began to quiver as she saw Jeff's eyes well with tears.

" _Mama! You come back! I get eated by a Blue-gun!"_

The snapped out of their trance and both started to laugh as they looked down and spotted a pissed off looking Sophie, who was standing almost between them, hands on her hips and a light pink pillow case falling off approximately half of her head.

Anthony slipped into the dining area and watched them, his hands in his pockets.

Jeff bent down and scooped Sophie up, hoisting to his side. He affected an exaggerated serious expression and matched it with his tone.

"Well now, that sucks."

" _Yeah._ "

She continued to frown, her little brows pushing her eyes almost shut. Jeff did his best not to laugh and began to remove the pillowcase, but she lightly swatted at him and he stopped.

" _No. Keep id on. I eated."_

"I see." He paused and after a low humming sound of thought, added, "But now we have to go eat him."

Sophie's expression instantly morphed into one of delight. She shrieked and kissed his cheek.

" _You da best, Daddy. I lub you."_

"I love you too, my half-eaten munchkin."

Annie observed the interplay and then stood on her tiptoes, laughing as she planted a big kiss on Sophie's shoulder. In the moment, she was grateful for her very own little family, and her heart was full of hope and warmth. No conversations with her father, her mother, or Adam could bog her down. She wouldn't let it anymore.

She said with all the enthusiasm she felt which was more than she could contain, "He is really the best daddy in the whole world."

From his shadowed spot near the bedroom hallway, Anthony observed the interaction, his frown softening somewhat. Jeff caught his eye and gave a nod, which to his surprise, was promptly returned.


	13. Basics of Family Law

**Chapter 13: Basics of Family Law**

Summary: Annie puts her knowledge of Colorado law to use

It was a sunny summer Monday morning when Annie made her way across campus toward the administration building. She was wearing her most sensible dress heels, 1.5 inches, which tended to give her an air of confidence. She bit her lip, consumed with thoughts about how best to go about her day.

She needed to have a heart-to-heart with the Dean about his ideas for a likely sparsely attended end-of-summer-session dance. And then she needed to have a very serious talk with Ian about his request to have Ruffles sit in a class in the fall. She could have swatted Jeff about him mentioning to Ian that he and Sophie were concerned about leaving Ruffles alone all day in the fall since she was used to people being around a lot. The last thing she needed was to worry about Ruffles on campus and likely getting lost in a vent.

She shrugged off the thought that she was starting to feel like Jeff when he got cranky and worried. She wondered how sometimes they seemed to reverse personalities, one of them consumed by something while the other one was rational and stabilizing. She stopped short in her tracks as she pondered her current mental state.

She was _not_ irrational. That was preposterous. They couldn't have their dog on campus. The fact that Jeff had merely shrugged at Ian's suggestion when he stopped over yesterday was absurd. A dog couldn't attend Greendale. If that happened, the campus would most definitely be a joke.

At that moment, she spied Professor Hickey and Ian strolling toward the cafeteria. A haggard-looking Ian was holding a cup of coffee and whispering something to Hickey, who appeared to be attempting to get away from him. Hickey locked eyes with Annie, his face instantly transforming to one of mild interest. Annie smiled and realized to her astonishment that she had not yet told him about her engagement.

Well, she certainly knew what she needed to do.

She scurried up to them, noticing Hickey seemed eager to step away from Ian.

She caught the last snippet of their conversation as Ian said in a slightly whiny tone, "I was merely suggesting you ask her to lunch sometime soon."

"Knock it off, Ian."

She gave a slight wave.

"Good morning, Professor Hickey."

Hickey let out a snort. "I told you, you can call me Buzz."

She nodded and tilted her head with self-consciousness. "Of course. Buzz. Hi."

He appeared bemused by her demeanor and took the opportunity of the pause to give Ian a shove.

"Get outta here. Miss Edison and I have an advisor meeting."

Ian frowned and looked back and forth between them with curiosity. Placing his index finger on the bridge of his glasses, he remarked, "I don't think you do."

Annie ignored him and kept her focus on Buzz. She smiled once more, this time tucking a lock of hair behind her left ear. "Call me _Annie,_ remember?"

Buzz nodded a couple times. "Of course. Sorry." He then turned toward Ian and scowled. " _Annie_ and I have a meeting."

"I said I don't think you do. Buzz, let me just…"

"For crying out loud, Ian. Stop." Buzz held up his hand again and waited for Ian to stop from stepping closer. He sighed wearily and then added, "Fine, we don't have a meeting but I can tell she _needs_ a meeting." He jerked his head in Annie's direction. "Isn't that right, Annie? You need us to talk over your fall schedule."

Annie nodded, feeling something like relief, which puzzled her. The last thing she needed in her busy day was to have an advisor meeting. But she did need to tell Buzz about the engagement, and then she needed to talk to the Dean about his stupid dance, and then she needed to stop Ian from enrolling her dog in Psych 101. And then she needed to….

Before she could follow that thought further, she blurted, "Hi Ian! Good morning! You can't take my dog!"

Ian raised his brows as he sipped his coffee. Grimacing at the taste, he remarked dryly, "I wasn't going to take her. As I mentioned yesterday when I stopped by before my date with Britta, I wanted to see if she could be my classroom mascot for the semester."

"She's not a mascot. She's my dog. Actually, she's _Sophie's_ dog."

"I'd be more than happy to take her by the daycare if you wish so that she could say hello to Sophie during playground time."

Barely registering the copious amounts of cat hair on his sweater vest, Annie replied tersely, "Sophie won't be at the daycare this semester. She'll be going to Rodef Sholom."

Ian pulled down his glasses to stare at her, revealing bloodshot eyes. He squinted as he asked, "Rodef what?"

Crossing her arms across her chest, she explained with a sigh, "Rodef Sholom. It's an elite preschool."

"Now this is the first time I'm hearing about this."

She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling her impatience about to give. For some reason, she had an urge to scream. Instead, she inched closer to him and bored her eyes into him as she replied with an edge to her voice, "We don't run everything past you. Yes, it's true Jeff and I haven't absolutely decided if she's going there just yet, but my mother offered to cover the fees and it's an excellent school, and that reminds me that we need to go there tomorrow for a tour…"

Ian stepped away as he and Buzz exchanged alarmed looks and Buzz placed his hand firmly on Annie's shoulder.

"Let's get outta here. He ain't taking your dog. I won't let him."

Annie's eyes popped as she snapped back to awareness of her own behavior. She nodded as Buzz took his hand off her and motioned with his head toward the cafeteria.

"Join me for a Shirley's breakfast sandwich?"

She grinned a little too tightly at Ian, who merely shrugged and mumbled, "Err, I guess I'll have to return your weirdo Abed's text then. The damn boy's harassing me. He even sabotaged my beans and toast this morning."

Buzz made a disgusted face. "Ian, take care of your mess. Let's go, Annie."

They walked in silence to the cafeteria and upon arriving got in a short line to order, which was also spent without speaking. After sitting down in a booth near the outer rim of the cafeteria, Buzz looked at her intently as he stirred the creamer in his coffee.

"What's wrong?"

She let out a long sigh and once again tilted her head. With a chirp in her voice, she explained, "Nothing. In fact, I have great news!"

He stilled his motions and remarked wryly, "Do you? Now see, that don't fit."

He continued to study her, which unnerved her as she had a realization what it must have been like to be one of his suspects in a criminal investigation.

She smiled even more as she said her most upbeat tone, "Jeff and I are engaged!"

She thrust out her left hand, which elicited a mild raise of the eyebrows.

"No kidding." He looked up at her vulnerable face and smiled slightly. He added, "Congratulations. You two are cute."

She nodded vigorously and continued to study her ring. "Thank you. It's three stones. One for me, one for him, and one for Sophie. And it's purple. It's absolutely perfect."

Buzz continued to stir his coffee as he remarked, "He knows what you like."

She relaxed her shoulder slightly and looked up. "He does. And he knows I'd want to include Sophie." Leaning forward, she added in a whisper, "And you know what? I'll tell you a secret."

He moved his coffee over ever so slightly and then leaned forward.

She continued, "Everyone thinks he proposed with a grand gesture in front of our friends Friday night. But he actually did it before we went out, because Sophie found the ring and brought it to us. It was so cute! He took it all in stride and asked me, and then the three of us had some quiet time before all the group shenanigans."

He returned her whisper, "That's what you really wanted."

She shrugged as she continued to lean forward. With the roll of her eyes, she replied, "I thought I wanted the grand gesture, but I guess I didn't."

"When you getting hitched?"

She immediately sat back and pulled out her phone as she replied, her tone becoming more emphatic, "After his graduation next summer."

He kept his position and folded his hands in front of him, watching intently as she began to take quicker breaths and consulted her phone to-do list.

She prattled on, "I have so much to do today! The Dean, Ian and this dog nonsense…" She looked back up at him with a manic grin. "I don't even know what to do!"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

He let his eyes linger on her right hand as it began twisting the engagement ring.

"Annie…"

She squeaked, "It has three stones!"

"Yes, I can see that."

He reached over and, placing a hand on her arm, looked at her with a steadiness that unnerved her. She suddenly found herself bursting into tears.

He quickly glanced around and noticing Pavel coming over to help, shooed him away. He then glared at a few nosy students nearby and, having obtained the desired effect, refocused his attention back on a sobbing Annie. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief.

"Here ya go." He placed it in her right hand.

"Thank you." She took it and sniffed.

She blotted her eyes and, at the realization that she had been making a scene, attempted to compose herself, gulping down the remaining sobs as best she could.

"So you don't want to marry him? Cause I wasn't getting that before."

"It's not Jeff."

Moving more readily into detective mode, he pressed on.

"Three stones?"

"It signifies our family."

"And that's a problem?"

She replied in an almost whisper, "No. It's perfect."

He took a few moments to study her face before letting out a deep sigh and leaning back in the booth.

"But it's not perfect, is it?"

"No."

"Because he's…"

"He's not Sophie's biological father."

Buzz began nodding as if it all made sense.

With a wince, Annie quickly added, "Not like that! I just meant that in my head, _perfect_ would mean he would be Sophie's biological father. That Sophie and I would be _with_ her biological father, in my ideal scenario that would be Jeff. And we'd be a family, and we'd be happy."

Buzz crinkled up the left side of his mouth as he pondered something. He then grunted and said, "Dorie tells me your ex is not the nicest. A little while ago she tried to get me to lend her a van for a stakeout."

Annie's eyes widened. "She told you a lot."

"Yeah. She was worried and had no one to talk to."

Annie nodded and sniffed once more. She had a moment of realization that Dorie had been through a lot too with the whole Adam mess. She was glad she had Buzz to confide in, but she wondered if that was the case much these days. The thought of Dorie alone and upset hurt her heart.

She sighed wistfully, "She's such a good grandma to Sophie. Much more so than my own mother. She actually takes the time to understand her instead of assuming she's a certain way."

"Yeah, I met your mother. She's a peach."

Annie let out a chuckle and then leaned forward and cradled her head in her hands. Looking around morosely, she remarked, "None of this went the way it was supposed to. I thought I'd meet a guy, we'd get married, and then maybe I'd have kids. And my children would know and love their father, and he'd be there for them. But I was so _stupid_. Even my own father doesn't want…" She trailed off and then mumbled, "Nevermind."

Buzz let out a wearied sigh. "I've been divorced and widowed. Trust me, nothing ever goes according to plan."

With some relief at having the focus taken off her for a moment, she smiled in sympathy. He returned her unspoken sentiment with another grunt. This time, however, he revealed, "Hey, Furio still talks to me, and I like his husband."

"That's nice."

He kept his eyes steady on her, taking in the softening of her expression. He continued, "And I hold out hope that Hank will someday come to his senses. I hate only seeing Sebastian every few months."

She lifted her head off her hands and sat upright. Picking up her breakfast sandwich, she grinned. "That's a cute name. Sebastian. Like in the Little Mermaid. I bet he's adorable."

"He is. I don't know what he has to do with mermaids though."

She chuckled. "Sophie adores the scooter you made for her. She's been on it every day this week and demanding to take it to the park so she can go down the long paths. Jeff claims it's driving him insane, but I think he secretly loves it when she barks orders at him."

Buzz smirked.

Having second thoughts about actually being able to consume her sandwich, she dropped it back on the plate. "What if you had been asked to sign away your parental rights?"

He instantly scowled. "Don't be stupid about this. Your ex and me ain't the same. He's never really been there for your kid. I tried to be there for my boys, but well Hank always hated me working so much. I was undercover for a while he was a teenager. It was a mistake, and if I could go back and change it, I would. But I never abandoned him. I was always his father."

Annie tilted her head and regarded him thoughtfully, noticing the pain in his eyes.

She gulped and then said, "I need to tell him about my engagement. And I've decided to pose the dreaded question to him. I asked him to meet for coffee early this afternoon."

Not needing to be told who he was, Buzz merely commented, "I see."

"I think I've been trying to distract myself with other things so I wouldn't have time to chicken out." She looked down and began tracing a circle around her sandwich.

"You can do it."

She glanced up to see him genuinely smiling at her. Well, she supposed he was sort of smiling. For Buzz it was a smile.

She returned the expression. "I know."

At that moment, the Dean swiveled up to them, having almost appeared out of nowhere. Both Annie and Buzz jumped slightly at the intrusion.

"Why Annie, there you are! I thought we had a morning meeting!" The Dean placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the non-consumed breakfast sandwiches with curiosity.

She smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I should have told you I was going to be late."

"Nevermind." He then paused as he noticed the handkerchief in her hand and the redness around her eyes. "But Annie, what's wrong?"

She swatted the air in embarrassment. "I'm fine. I was just talking over something with Professor…Buzz. I'll be at the office in a few minutes."

The Dean then caught a flash of Annie's ring. "Wait…what's that? That's new. It's gorgeous!"

Realizing that she had completely forgotten about telling the Dean, she felt a pang of guilt. She smiled brightly and said, "I was about to tell you. Jeff and I are engaged!"

The Dean instantly placed a hand on his chest and let out an exclamation of joy. Glancing at a smirking Buzz, Annie jumped to her feet and joined the Dean for a big hug. Buzz leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched them continue to embrace and squeal.

"Let me plan your wedding!"

"There's no way, because I have a binder!"

"You do not! Why Annie, you are just delightful!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie stepped into the Riverside coffee shop, remembering this was a place she and Adam liked to go when they were together, at first meeting up under the guise of him helping her with her English assignments. Not that she ever needed tutoring, but they both knew that. She cringed internally at the thought of how naïve she had been, that she and Adam could work out. She felt sick at the thought she had ever been attracted to him.

But she had Sophie, whom she wouldn't give up for anything in the world. Yes, she could be okay with what happened. She had to be.

She spotted him sitting in a corner spot, scrolling on a Kindle. With a deep breath, she strutted confidently over to the table and sat down opposite.

"Hi!"

He glanced up and smiled slightly. "Hey. I waited to order. I couldn't remember what you liked."

She frowned but then shrugged it off. He had bought her a bunch of coffees back in the day, but she supposed it made sense that he had forgotten. She kicked herself internally yet again for being disappointed. She was really trying to get to a place where she didn't expect anything from him.

They placed their orders and then went back to the table. As they waited for their drinks, she said, "Thanks for meeting me."

"What's up?"

Noticing his suspicious glare, she replied, "It's nothing bad."

"But you didn't want to talk in front of Jeff."

She resumed smiling, this time doing her best to steady herself for what she needed to do. Deciding to soften the message as best she could, she started with a simple preview.

"I thought we had some things to discuss before you left for North Carolina."

He tapped his closed right fist on the table and huffed.

"Annie, we've been over this. I'm moving in a couple weeks, but I'll stop by to see Sophie before then. Next Saturday afternoon work for you? After her nap?"

"Yes."

"Great." He rolled his eyes.

"It's something else."

"I can't give you any more money."

She felt her blood begin pumping with a ferocity she did not anticipate. As the server approached with their beverages, she affected a polite smile and said through gritted teeth, "This isn't about money."

She turned to accept the coffees and placing Adam's in front of him so that the waitress could leave, said in a lowered voice, "I wanted to share some news with you."

He picked up his cup and took a long sip, studying her face the entire time.

"You're nervous. God, what is it?"

"Jeff and I are engaged."

"Interesting." He paused and then added, "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

He continued to study her, frowning in thought.

"But why were you so freaked out to tell me? You know I don't want to get back together, right? I think we both know that ship has _long_ sailed."

She let out a low laugh and shook her head. "Trust me, I know."

He squinted at her. "Really? Telling me you're engaged to your live-in boyfriend warrants an in-person meeting? One you made me swear to the sky that I wouldn't miss?"

"I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings. We have a lot to talk about."

"Like what?"

She took a sip of her latte and steeled herself. Placing the cup back in its saucer, she sat up straighter and laced her hands in her lap.

"I'd like to pose something to you. And I want your honest reaction."

"Go ahead."

Jutting out her jaw, she decided to just dive in. "We currently have an arrangement which seems to work, sort of. You come over and visit with Sophie occasionally, and you pay for some of her expenses. But you never really seem into it."

She watched as he visibly tensed and began stirring a packet of sugar into his black coffee.

Avoiding eye contact, he remarked, "That's not fair."

"I think it's an accurate assessment."

There was an eerie silence, followed by a whisper, "You're seriously doing this?"

"I have to."

He lifted his head and met her gaze. She couldn't quite read his expression, but she could have sworn there was a flash of something in his eyes. She pushed down the nauseous feeling and said with full resolution, "Jeff would like to adopt Sophie."

Adam pursed his lips and made a fist once again with his right hand, tapping it on the table at an almost rhythmic pace.

"I can't believe you're doing this."

She took a deep breath and pressed on, "I'm not doing anything. There's nothing I _can_ do without your permission. I wanted to tell you and see what you think."

"I'm her father."

She sighed. "Yes, _technically_ you are. But Jeff's been there for her from the time she was a few months old. He helped me teach her how to walk. He was there when she had her first haircut, when she said her first word. She trusts him and relies on him."

Ignoring the roll of his eyes and continued tapping, she continued, "She comes to _him_ , not me, when she has a nightmare. And he's there. Every single time. He'll hear her sometimes before I can even notice in the middle of the night. He listens for her, he anticipates that she might need us. He's attuned to her, and he loves her."

The tapping abruptly stopped.

"But I'm her biological father. That counts."

She slowly nodded and said in an almost whisper, "I thought it did too. But you haven't shown much interest in her. The visits aren't enough. She needs a real father."

She let her eyes meet his. He glared back.

"I tried for partial custody, but you guys blackmailed me."

Feeling her pulse quickening, she retorted, "You were just doing that to upset me."

He shook his head and let out a quick laugh.

"You can't have it both ways, Annie. You either let me be involved or you don't."

She almost couldn't believe he was blaming her yet again for everything. A million potential responses entered her mind, many of which involved reminders of him potentially still being involved with people who use and deal drugs. But she decided that responding in such a way would only lead them down an unhelpful and distracting path.

Instead, she steeled herself yet again and simply asked, "So you want to be involved?"

He stiffened.

"Of course I do."

She nodded and said calmly, "And yet you're going away for graduate school for _five years_."

He responded casually, "I've already explained I'll be back on breaks. December, mid-spring, next summer for a couple weeks."

She grit her teeth. "That's not nearly enough. And you don't even see her much anyway when you've been living here _full time_. Don't make me the bad person here."

He began rolling his head, cracking it as he said, "One day I'll be done with school, and I can see her more then."

She bit her lip and hesitated before asking, knowing full well where the conversation was headed, "Really? You'll move back?"

He sighed. "Well, probably not here. I won't have much choice in it. The life of an academic in a tier one university is kind of competitive, you know that. I'll have to go where there's a position. And trust me, there are no _positions_ in Riverside or Greendale."

He stopped his neck cracking and gave her an intense look.

Although she could predict his moves, that small part of her, the part of her that always held out hope that he'd be decent, fell down in her stomach. It infuriated her, the way he viewed Sophie as a thing. Something he could take out to look at when he needed an ego boost or was bored but not something he would really attend to and nurture. No, she knew full well where this conversation was headed. But she felt she needed to play along. They needed to both be clear that there was no way he'd be a part of Sophie's life.

She cleared her throat and asked the next obvious question, "Anywhere near Denver? Because that's where we'll be moving when I'm done with my bachelors."

He sipped his coffee once again and then placed it back in its saucer. "I can't promise I'll be anywhere near Denver, you know that."

She smiled tightly. "But you'll come see her then? When you're a professor?"

The response was swift and on the surface nonchalant, but she detected the hint of a wavering. She wondered if even he knew he was full of it.

"Of course."

They both stared intently at one another, neither flinching.

She kept going. "And you'll talk to her on the phone in between? You'll listen to her as she tells you about her day? You'll Skype with her so she can show you her toys and so that she can see your face and feel connected to you?"

He shifted in his seat and began jiggling his leg. He relaxed the fist and picked up his cup, this time taking a longer sip.

At his silence, she added, acid coming up her throat, "Because she's a _person_ , Adam. A human being. She already has thoughts and feelings, and I don't want her to be hurt. So far I've pushed your relationship with her because I didn't want her to know that her father was uninterested in her. I thought I was protecting her, but I made a mistake."

"Annie."

She knew she had one more card to play.

"And I've been unfair to you."

At her comment, he cocked his head and the shaking of his leg instantly ceased.

His voice dropped. "So you're finally admitting it?"

"Yes."

He didn't blink.

"Please elaborate. I need to hear this."

Pushing down the bile, she said in a softer tone, "It was unfair of me to put fatherhood on you. I should have left you alone."

"Because…"

-"You asked me to put her up for adoption, and I didn't listen. You told me a long time ago you didn't want to be a father. That it was too much responsibility. That you weren't ready. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

She had never spoken truer words. She had wished she had believed him.

He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. He took a breath and then said, "That's all well and good. But if I agree to this…" he trailed off and sat silently, staring off toward a far wall as if something had just occurred to him.

Seizing the moment, she said tentatively, "If you agree to this, then we'll be making the adoption happen, just like you wanted originally. Only I'll keep her and she'll just have a different legal father."

He kept his eyes on the wall and whispered, "This will make me look like an ass."

She felt the recurrence of the stomach drop mixed with a sense of relief.

"No, it won't. And this way, Sophie won't be confused. She'll have one _dad_ and she won't be asking about you."

He appeared to startle, and his eyes flashed back to hers.

"She asks about me?"

Annie nodded, clasping her hands on the table.

"Sometimes after you leave, she asks when you're coming back."

His eyes widened, and he gulped. "Shit."

She kept her voice calm and even. "Which is why we need to do something _now_."

She was encouraged that he began to nod slowly, his eyes again looking far off toward the other side of the café. She waited for him to think it through.

After what seemed like an eternity, he turned back to her and asked, "You're not going to tell her she's not his, then?"

She closed her eyes, wondering if he was being purposely obtuse or if he actually thought such an arrangement would be workable. She mentally kicked herself again for having had such poor judgment.

She opened her eyes and calmly explained, "Of course we will tell her the truth, but not now. We'll tell her when she's a little older, and I hope you're okay with this, but it would be best if we were as open with her as possible. Meaning, she knows your name, she knows where you live. If she has questions, I can reach out and ask you. If she wants to see you someday, I hope you would consider it."

"But you don't want me to be her long-distance _father_."

"I'm merely acknowledging what I haven't wanted to really admit all along. You're not her father."

He shook his head and let out a low laugh. "Ouch."

To her almost horror, she found herself involuntarily chuckling, she assumed in part due to her frayed nerves. But also probably because they were both being painfully honest.

She continued, "And you've been telling me this all along, in your words, in your behavior. I'm sorry I haven't listened."

"Annie."

He reached over for her hand. She stopped laughing and deftly moved it away.

She said tersely, "I think this is the best plan we have."

She watched as he remained still, his hand on the table. His eyes were cast down, and she could have sworn that despite him having 'won,' he seemed defeated. She again wondered what her high school self could have possibly seen in him.

As the silence remained, she decided to move things along. "Jeff already has power of attorney. This would just tie it all up nicely, and you won't be obligated to contribute to anything financially, nor would I ever ask you to. But it would mean no more visits unless, like I said, she wanted to see you when she was older. That would be up to you."

He nodded while continuing to inspect the table.

"And I'd be a complete ass not to see her."

"It could be brief. I'd come with her. Again, if she wanted to. If she doesn't, then you might never see her again."

"God."

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. Her voice wavering, she said, "Please rescind your parental rights so that Jeff can be her father. Let him do this. They love each other. She deserves to be loved."

She kept her eyes on him, boring into the top of his head until he finally lifted it and met her gaze. She kept her expression pleading yet relentless.

"I would have been a crappy father."

She smiled slightly. "You can be a good biological one now though, and do the right thing."

He let out another low laugh but then stopped. "Only an asshole would rescind his parental rights."

"I don't think so. Like I said, this is basically what we initially discussed for her, giving her up for adoption."

"I suppose that's true."

"It makes logical sense."

They both stared at one another for a little while, neither one speaking. They sipped their coffees and gave half smiles. Annie then shrugged, and he mirrored her movements.

"Christ. How do we do this?"

She didn't miss the crack in his voice. Her brow furrowing with some concern, she explained, "According to Colorado law, before you're allowed to voluntarily rescind your parental rights you need to complete counseling."

"You're not serious."

"It's so that you're certain this is what you want to do. They want to make sure you realize the seriousness and finality of your decision and that you're not being coerced."

He shook his head. "Can I do this in North Carolina?"

"Jeff and Mark think so, but we'll have to ask a judge."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Adam tapping his cup. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "And then?"

"We'd have to have a court hearing, during which the court will terminate your parental rights."

He chuckled. "You sound like a lawyer."

Unexpectedly, she felt herself relaxing, her shoulders dropping slightly and her ability to take full breaths returning.

"I was always pretty smart."

"That's true."

She took a long look into his eyes, not knowing what she expected or hoped to find. She could have sworn he looked relieved as well, and with that realization, she felt a hollow thud in her heart.

She could only manage a soft, "Thank you, Adam."

He nodded and to her surprise turned slightly and wiped something away.

With a catch in his voice, he asked, "Do I get to say goodbye?"

Pushing down her own tears, she gripped her hands tightly on her lap.

"I think that would be the decent thing to do."

"She's a sweet kid. I hope she turns out more like you than me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Annie clicked her heels on the pavement, following the curving path toward the playground. She stumbled several times, lost in thought. On her fifth misstep, she made the decision to sit down on a park bench. She placed her bag to her left and then leaned over and held her head in her hands.

She began to sob uncontrollably, her body shaking as the pain and relief washed through her, as everything came tumbling out of her. She knew she was indulging it, and while a part of her worried that she might never be able to stop, she felt compelled to do it.

She couldn't do this in front of Sophie.

She couldn't do this in front of Jeff.

For she knew she had just done the most awful yet wonderful thing she could have done. She continued to cry for her daughter and perhaps also for herself.

X

X

X

She spotted them near the edge of the playground, Jeff crouched down near a pouting Sophie, who was wearing her bike helmet while half standing on her pink scooter. She took a few moments to observe their interaction, noticing the way Jeff calmly spoke to her and how Sophie's face the lit up before she squealed. Jeff then flashed a satisfied grin and stood. He proceeded to lift Sophie back fully onto the scooter and place her hands on the grips.

"Okay, now one foot out just like last time."

" _I know. I can do id, Daddy."_

"Yeah, you got this."

" _Now let goooo."_

"I'm not letting go. That's how you fell off last time."

" _I can do id myself!"_

"Of course you can."

Annie watched as he proceeded to pretend to let go of the scooter but held onto the back stick, which she strongly suspected Buzz had installed for just such a scenario.

Sophie seemed very pleased and began to push her right foot onto the pavement while gripping the handlebars. Jeff smirked as he pushed the scooter forward, Sophie screeching in glee and completely unaware of Jeff's part in keeping her safe.

Feeling as if she were about to burst into tears yet again, but this time joyful tears, Annie took a deep breath and then scurried up to them.

"Hi sweetie! You're doing amazing!"

Sophie looked up, her blue eyes growing even larger at the sight of her mother.

" _Ya, Mama. I do id all by myself."_

She scrunched up her little face in concentration as she continued to scoot forward. Jeff looked up at Annie and smiled, his eyes twinkling in bemusement.

"Hey."

"Hey."

After a few rounds of scooting, Annie watching from a short distance, Jeff convinced Sophie to allow the scooter to rest because it was tired. After placing her bear on the scooter base, letting Jeff take off her helmet, and giving her mother a hug, Sophie went over to the sandbox to play with another child who was in the middle of scooping out a moat for a castle with his hands.

Annie sat down on a bench and watched her go. Jeff sat down next to her and took her free hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. They didn't speak for almost a full minute, but she felt his eyes on her. Eventually she turned to him and took off her sunglasses.

She noted his worried expression as he took in the sight of her likely swollen and red-rimmed eyes. He didn't say anything but merely gave her hand a squeeze.

She smiled softly. "He agreed."

He immediately inhaled and then let out the breath, his face relaxing from its tense expression. She noted the sweatiness of his hand but also felt him squeeze her even tighter.

His voice was gravely and barely audible. "Okay."

She allowed her smile to fully form and turned even more toward him, taking his other hand in hers. Giving them both a tug, she tilted her head and said, her voice wavering, "He's going to start the process of rescinding his parental rights. You can adopt her."

Jeff nodded twice, his eyes on hers as if in complete disbelief. He bit his lip in thought but finally managed, "She'll be my…" and then trailed off.

Annie nodded her encouragement, catching the beginning of his smile. She whispered, "Yes, she'll be your daughter. She'll be _our_ daughter."

"We've said for awhile now she's my daughter, but…" He looked off toward Sophie, who was in the middle of an intense disagreement with a little boy in the sandbox. Her hands were on her hips. She sighed loudly and then handed the other child a small red plastic shovel, smiling as he took it and proceeded to dig the moat she likely suggested.

Jeff's chest swelled with pride, and he smirked as he continued to watch her.

"She'll be my daughter."

"For real. Sophie Winger."

He startled and turned his attention back. Lifting a brow, he asked, "Winger? Not Edison-Winger?"

Annie shook her head. "I don't want her to start out with a hyphenated name. She might get married someday and want to hyphenate it, and she can't very well do that if she already has one. I'll be Edison-Winger, but I want her to just be Winger."

She watched as a grin began spreading across his face.

"That is, if you're okay with that?"

He didn't bother hiding behind any of his trademark sarcasm, merely responding genuinely and eagerly, "God, Annie. You have no idea how okay I am with it. Really completely and utterly okay with it."

She laughed and then leaned into his side. "Good."

Placing a kiss on her head, he remarked, "But Sophie Ariel Edison sounds so cute."

She frowned for a moment in thought. "How about we keep Edison as one of her two middle names? Sophie Ariel Edison Winger?"

She looked up at him and they held still for several beats, both taking in the significance of the moment.

Jeff then cleared his throat and barely whispered, "Perfect."

Without any hesitation, she pushed herself up so and placed her hands on his shoulders. She watched as he gulped and she detected the hint of a sniff.

"Jeff?"

He didn't respond but simply pulled her into an embrace. She took in the heat emanating from his torso and felt calmed by the steadiness of his hands on her lower back. She could have sat there forever, completely at ease and for once in her life not feeling urgently worried or guilty about anything.

Peace.

" _I need a hug too."_

They both startled and looked over at Sophie, who was standing in front of the bench and covered with a fine layer of sand from head to toe. She held a small red shovel.

Jeff gasped at the sight of the sand in her curly locks, which were now sticking up in all directions. Annie nudged him in the side and after casting him a look, turned her attentions completely to Sophie.

"I think we need to get cleaned up first, sweetie. Then we'll do hugs."

Sophie pouted, and to Annie's surprise and delight, Jeff grumbled, "Nah, we can do hugs first."

He reached over and with full gusto grabbed Sophie and hauled her onto his lap, smearing sand all over his jeans and designer shirt. As Annie shrieked, he pulled her into the family hug.


	14. Advanced Relaxation Techniques

**Chapter 14: Advanced Relaxation Techniques**

Summary: Jeff remains calm

Keeping his eyes firmly closed, Jeff let his mind drift. Things had been chaotic the past few days, and he felt he hadn't had much time to let everything sink in. In the evenings when he'd normally take some moments to reflect, he was so tired after the sexy times with Annie, he crashed as his head hit the pillow. The sexy times had definitely ramped up following Annie's announcement that he could adopt Sophie.

He had been so relieved and excited that he hadn't minded getting his clothes full of sand as he smooshed Sophie and Annie into his arms. Although one who tended to fixate on the concept of a shoe dropping with any good news, he allowed himself to stay in the moment for a little while, holding them tight and pressing gritty kisses onto Sophie's squealing cheeks. She hadn't known why he was so happy, and she didn't need to know right now. That would be saved for another day. He supposed he and Annie should talk about that at some point to make sure they were on the same page. He had been proud of himself that he had redirected his thoughts from that likely uncomfortable and mildly soul-crushing day and spent the rest of the afternoon with Sophie and Annie.

He was going to be Sophie's actual father. She'd be Sophie Winger. It was almost more than his heart could handle. After Sophie had gone to bed, he had called his mother with the news, and she had been ecstatic and he also suspected, relieved.

 _Relief_ was something that kept coming back into his mind. There was something in his chest that had started to let go, some underlying tension and twisting that had begun to slowly unravel. He may not have completely trusted it yet, but it was definitely happening.

He supposed he couldn't completely relax until the court date, which he suspected would be in a few months after Adam finished all the requirements and they could actually get on the court docket. He knew he and Annie should actually talk about when the day would be when he'd officially adopt Sophie. They'd have to be married first.

Annie wanted to marry in June.

 _Could this wait until June?_

 _June?_

Sophie needed a father. The thought of her not officially having one from the time of the Adam's rescinding to the wedding date didn't seem right.

On the topic of things not seeming right, he had been having a lot of dreams lately. The darkest timeline had started up again. Sadie Winger was turning out to be an adorable and attention-demanding evil baby, and poor Sophie Edison was resigned to sulking in the corner or trying to get out of everyone's way. Sadie had even started to take Sophie's toys, which was surprising for a relative newborn, but then again she was evil. And he didn't really know anything about newborns. He had skipped that part of Sophie's development and his dreams became more vivid on that front each time they came back from visiting baby Elizabeth.

Damn subconscious and damn Abed. There was no need to worry about potential future babies. Baby. One, right? Did they decide on the number? _Potential._ As in _not now_. Not this present moment. They had Sophie, and she was just fine.

He inhaled and let his breath out as he silently counted to ten.

His heart fluttered for a moment as he recalled Adam's visit this past weekend. Adam's final visit. It had been awkward and heartbreaking, and as much as he wanted to asshole out of Sophie's life, he hadn't found much cheer in tactfully removing himself from the room as Adam had knelt down with Annie to talk to Sophie. Annie told him later how she had let them play a for a little bit before she and Adam explained to Sophie that Adam would be moving away for school. Sophie had apparently been a little sad but more than anything confused.

He had spoken to Adam before he left, man to man. Unsurprisingly, that had been strained, but for some reason not nearly as tense as their usual encounters. They had talked about the logistics of the adoption and then Sophie's general well being. He had promised Adam he'd take care of her, and he had watched as Adam's shoulders fell forward slightly and he had nodded with the same slightly panicked expression he had worn that day at urgent care.

 _Adam had then turned to him and managed a slight smile._

" _I suppose it's more than a little douchey to say thank you."_

 _He hadn't expected those words but accepted them without resistance. He reached out his hand, giving a firm handshake._

" _Not at all. I'm happy to be her legal father, and as I mentioned, she won't want for anything. Thank you for doing the right thing."_

Annie had joined them for a few moments, and then all three said their farewells until the court hearing. He had expected Annie to want to follow Adam out into the hall for a private conversation, but she surprised him when she closed the door and then turned and fell into his arms. They embraced for almost a full minute, and while he expected her to cry, he was again taken aback by her fairly cheerful demeanor.

He had been worried about her for the past week, noticing she was taking longer in the bathroom than usual at the end of the day. He had been nosy and listened at the door, fairly certain he heard some sniffles and then a phone call to Shirley. At the mention of Shirley's name, he felt guilty and shuffled off to the bedroom, pretending to be engrossed in a law article by the time she returned.

He knew it must be hard for her to sever ties with Adam, even if he had been a thorn in her side for the past few years. He had tried to talk to her about it, but she insisted she was fine and that she was excited for them to be an official family. She kept emphasizing the _Edison-Wingers_. And then she'd pounce on him.

Despite his concerns, he was starting to believe she was going to be okay. The day after Adam said his goodbye, she seemed more genuinely happy. Plus she was making pancakes. He knew by now that was Annie-code for love.

He felt his chest expand a little more. He began to silently count to ten once again as he exhaled.

He held back an utterance as a blob crashed onto him.

" _I wake you, Daddy!"_

There was a squishing of his eyelids, and he was conscious of the cold hard surface of Sophie's glasses pressing into his face.

" _No Sophie, I'll wake him up!"_

A temporary reprieve, as she was distracted.

" _He MY Daddy. He so silly. Daddy, id wake up time!"_

More squishing. Not pleasant.

" _Can I do it?"_

" _No, Dino! No!"_

" _Please, Sophie?"_

" _No!"_

Jeff let out a loud groan and opened his eyes, making sure to gently grab onto Sophie's sticky (?) hands so that she didn't actually smash his eyeballs.

"Munchkin!"

Her rosy cheeks and big blue eyes were the only thing in his field of vision. He instantly smiled.

" _You awake, Daddy!"_

"Yes, I am. You won. Good job."

She smiled in triumph.

He suppressed a chuckle and then turned his head to see Dino and Sam sitting to his left with dejected expressions on their faces. He smirked at them and said, "Now listen. You two didn't try hard enough. I'll have to go back to sleep, but this time don't let her show you up. She's the youngest…"

 _-"I not a baby."_

"I know, munchkin." He then whispered in her ear, "Let Sam win next time, okay?"

She giggled.

He heard the loud clearing of Annie's throat as she returned from her grocery-shopping trip. Sophie still plastered on his chest and two curious boys poking at his ribs, he lifted his head back to see her upside down incredulous stare.

"Hey, you're back."

" _Mama back!"_

" _Hi Aunt Annie!"_

" _Hi Sophie's mommy!"_

He watched as Annie's eyes continued to widen as she scanned his body, from head to toe.

Oh, right. The toes.

"I left for forty five minutes and I come back to find you doing the _wake daddy when he's sleeping game_ and your toenails painted."

He cranked his head so that he could see his feet. He squinted at the messy dark purple paint job, thankful they had done that out on the balcony before the sleeping game.

" _I do my toes too, mama!"_

Sophie laughed as she stuck out her foot so Annie could see. Annie smiled down at them.

"I see yours are very neat. Did Daddy do it?"

" _Yah. Bud I do his. Und I do Sam und Dino too!"_

"So you all have purple toes?"

" _I like purple. I want to be the color purple when I grow up."_

" _Yeah, Aunt Annie! It was so much fun! Now I'm just like Uncle Jeff!"_

He exchanged a look of concern with Annie, remembering their conversation earlier before they invited Sam over to spend the night. After his clinginess at Sophie's birthday party and observing Holly's general frazzledness, they decided to have Sophie host her first sleepover. Somehow Thanos had gotten word and plopped Dino into the mix, which seemed to work out well given he was age-wise in between the other two, but when Shirley and Andre attempted to get an invite for their boys, they held firm to the small guest list. After all, as he pointed out, Elijah and Jordan were way too old (and more than a little destructive) to attend a little kid sleepover, and baby Ben was too young (and drooly), which was also why Braden stayed home with Holly. Troy and Abed were also turned away, with Jeff more than a little suspicious how people seemed to keep finding out about it.

It had turned out that he was actually enjoying himself, having discovered that it was less pressure taking care of Sophie when she was occupied with playmates beyond Ruffles.

 _Ruffles._

At that moment, he felt the licking on the bottom of his feet. He squinted his eyes and said with an exaggerated sternness, "That better be Ruffles licking my feet."

Giggles abounded.

Annie shook her head and bent down to place a kiss on his forehead.

" _Ewww."_

" _Awww."_

X

They watched the kids play from the cozy confines of their couch, Annie playfully pushing her foot against his knee. He draped his arm around her and pulled her in closer to him, placing a kiss on her head while taking in a whiff of her hair.

"They're sweet."

"And easy."

She lifted her head and raised an eyebrow.

He explained, "Easier. It's nice for her to have someone to play with. Takes the pressure off us to entertain her."

Annie smiled and looked back over at the kids, who were in the middle of an animated discussion over what to build next with the Legos.

He added in a dry tone, "I only had so many more rounds of Go Fish left in me before I was going to stab my eyes out."

"Jeff."

"I hate that game."

"But she loves it."

"That's the only reason I subject myself to it."

She chuckled and cozied up to him a bit more. He was hoping she was finally relaxing, that they could both perhaps calm down a bit and appreciate this moment.

 _Everything was okay._

 _Everything was good even._

 _Great?_

His thoughts were broken by her wistful sigh.

"Do you think we made the right decision about the preschool?"

He placed another kiss on her head and began to stroke her hair.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"That place was crazy, Annie."

He thought back to their meeting at Rodef Sholom the other day, the way in which the principal and another administrator had been all too eager to tell them about the enrichment programs and the numerous parental committees. And of course the parent teacher association. He had watched as Annie stiffened and began clicking her pen absentmindedly, her eyes trailing off. After this had gone on for a while, Annie zoning out and barely registering when someone asked her a question, he had excused them under the guise of strolling around the yard and had asked her about it.

" _It's just so much pressure, Jeff. I don't want her to experience what I did."_

" _Well, I don't want to go to any damn PTA meetings. Or be expected to chair a committee."_

" _That's just what you have to do when you have children in school. My mom was always chairing a committee. And I attended all the enrichment programs, and I…"_

 _-"It's not about the PTA. We're not having Sophie go here if it means that you have flashbacks to your awful childhood."_

But he knew of course they both had occasional callbacks to their respective childhoods, and that with parenting it was inevitable. He just couldn't bring himself to watch Annie get wound tighter and tighter. Plus there was the Rachel factor. Although she and her mother had reached a reconciliation, it was tentative and delicate and the thought of Rachel using her influence over Sophie's school, where it was known she had many supposed friends (and likely enemies), made his skin crawl.

No, they had decided that Sophie would stay at Greendale another year, with the possibility of attending 4K after that before officially entering elementary school the following year. It made his head spin trying to keep track of all the school related things. He had a feeling both he and Annie didn't want to have to deal with that all just yet. They both could appreciate her remaining small for a little while longer.

He leaned down and whispered, "She and those two are pretty cute."

Annie lifted her head and stared at him in apparent bemusement, which confused him for a minute. She then looked over at the kids and back at him, raising her eyebrows in anticipation.

He managed, "What?"

She smiled and nodded probably more to herself than him and settled back down into his lap.

X

X

X

They closed the door to their bedroom and grinned at each other. Silently making her way over to the bed, Annie unbuttoned her blouse. As she looked back over her shoulder, he shook his head.

She mouthed silently, "What?"

He closed the gap between them and reached his arms around her, completely enveloping her. He whispered into the back of her ear, "There are three munchkins in the living room. We have to behave."

He smirked as he felt her body shudder from the heat of his breath.

She whispered back, "I know. I wasn't suggesting any such thing."

"Um hmm."

He relaxed his grip and she turned around to face him. He promptly placed his hands on her lower back and gazed down at her.

She lifted her head and smiled. "Plus you promised them you'd camp out there. Sooner or later one of them will wake up and notice you went missing."

"Yeah, I know. But let me hang out with you first. My back can only handle sleeping on the floor for so long."

"Because you're old."

He felt his breath catch and noticed she immediately widened her eyes and placed a hand on his chest.

"I didn't mean it like that. I was just teasing."

He let out a long sigh. "I guess since we're going to be married this is just something we're going to have to get used to. People will ask."

She cocked her head to the side and bit her lip in thought for a few moments while caressing his left pec.

Finally she said, "It doesn't matter. I think we've both wasted enough time caring too much what other people think. You're perfect for me and I like to think I'm perfect for you."

He found himself laughing in relief, appreciating once again how amazing, intelligent, thoughtful, and funny she was.

"That's why I love you. You're so modest."

"You've said that before."

"It's because it's true."

She laughed and lifted her head, which prompted him to bend down and give her a soft kiss. As they pulled out of it, he took a moment to regard her open and kind face. He knew he should ask once again, and he knew that she was continually thrown off when others actually cared and inquired about her well being, having spent so many years bottling up her own needs and feelings because she was pretty sure no one would listen or understand.

But he would try.

He cleared his throat and then asked, "Are you okay?"

He noticed her smile tighten almost imperceptibly and the flicker of something in her eyes.

She replied, "You keep asking me that. Yes."

He kept his eyes on hers and said in his most calm and low tone, "I care. You can tell me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"This has been really hard. I'm sorry."

"Jeeeff…"

-"I'm so sorry, Annie. You and Sophie don't deserve any of this. I wish he could have been the kind of man you needed him to be."

She seemed to startle. He felt an impulse to do something, but held back just long enough for a few tears to begin flowing down her cheeks.

Looking down, she sniffed and managed, "It has been really disappointing."

"I know."

She looked back up at him and wiped the side of her face.

"But the thing is, I am continually amazed at you. And _us."_

"Us?"

"We make a good team."

"We do."

"And I'm the luckiest person right now, besides Sophie. So despite my disappointment in _him_ , I am genuinely grateful and happy and excited to make a life with you."

He felt the tingle at the sides of his mouth as he guessed he was grinning like an idiot. She mirrored his expression and took his hands in hers.

"I love you, Jeff. Sophie loves you. It's all good."

"Good? That's not very grammatically correct, you know. I thought you were a stickler for…"

She didn't let him finish as she smashed her mouth into his.

X

X

X

He did eventually have to let go of her; this time they were both curled up on top of the bed, having spent some time merely holding each other, fully clothed and absent sexy times.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered, "I have to join the munchkin campsite."

Her eyes remaining closed, she replied, "I'll miss you."

"I'm always here."

"I know."


	15. Back to School

**Chapter 15: Back to School**

Summary: The gang heads back to school for their fourth year and Abed ponders plot developments

xxxx

A/N: Apologies for the delay with this chapter. I won't get into the depressing reasons for the lag, but please know I remain committed to this story. Thanks to all of you who have continued to follow along and review! It means a lot to me and makes this endeavor all the more worthwhile.

xxxx

The remaining weeks of the summer went by in a whirl. They got together with the study group a few times, once at a barbeque at Shirley's, another time for a movie night at Apartment 303 (Sophie and Ben napped in Britta's room), and a nighttime showing of an obscure art film Abed had been going on about. Annie and Jeff also allowed Troberry to throw them an awkward and suspiciously non-engagement related engagement party involving some dishes with cool whip and a Doritos glaze.

They set the wedding date two weeks after Jeff's graduation. Annie had begun to pour over a wedding binder, the existence of which Jeff was mildly surprised and amused by. She had explained through huffs of indignation that while she had been disappointed by her parents'' divorce, part of her did believe in marriage and wanted the fairytale wedding, adding with a flutter of eyelashes that Jeff could be her Prince Charming. He couldn't argue with that and proceeded to sit down next to her and nod as she flipped giddily through the album. There were also long late night planning chats with Britta, which Jeff tended to stay out of under the guise that Ruffles needed extra attention. He was happy to make calls or whatever else they needed him to do, but he didn't really care about the wedding details themselves other than the color palette and his suit.

Sophie continued to excel in her swimming lessons, Annie by her side and Jeff safely watching from a bench as he hid behind his sunglasses and attempted to ignore the ogling he received from some of the moms. Annie did her best to also ignore it, much to Jeff's amusement.

And they continued to discuss their plans. Adam still needed to get settled in North Carolina, but he maintained a willingness to proceed with the process. Mark was attending to the details, and this left plenty of time for Annie and Jeff to have long talks about their future, including hopes and needs.

X

X

X

The beginning of the semester was suddenly upon them. They did their best to dutifully set out belongings and Sophie's snacks and lunch the night before, Annie carefully placing a couple items such as a comfort blanket in the new pink Dora the Explorer backpack they had gotten Sophie for her birthday.

They had been awakened a few times the previous night by the sounds of their new neighbor, whom they had not yet met, banging things around in their apartment. From the sounds of it, it seemed as if they were attempting to install a shelf of some kind and it kept falling down. At the sounds of someone sobbing, Jeff had to stop Annie from investigating, as he made it a point to never get to know his neighbors well. So far, Annie had ingratiated herself with Mrs. Huttleson down the hall and he was damned if they were going to actually get to know their neighbor right next door. As he explained, that was too close with much potential for awkwardness. She had rolled her eyes but then as the sobbing next door stopped and the banging resumed, she had acquiesced and remained in their apartment.

Alas, the first day of school was a scrambling morning at 879 Rechereche Circle.

While Annie was walking Ruffles, Jeff fried eggs and attempted to check himself in the mirror to determine if he was wearing the best shirt. He kept muttering to himself, wondering if he should go with the steel grey or the light blue one with a muted checkered pattern.

Sophie walked over to him and tugged on his jeans.

" _Daddy."_

He frowned as he turned to the side to eye the crease along the grey shirt.

" _Daddy."_

He continued to furrow his brow as he absentmindedly responded, "What, munchkin?"

" _Daddy."_

As he was about to look down, he heard the sizzling in the frying pan. "Just a sec." He shuffled from the hallway mirror to the stove and grabbed the spatula, flipping an egg. He then adjusted the heat and inspected if his shirt had gotten splattered. Spotting a suspicious mark, he glanced down at a wide-eyed Sophie, who was holding her backpack, and said, "I have to change. Just a sec."

" _Daddy."_

"Just a minute, okay?" He jogged down the hallway, Sophie trailing him.

" _Daddy."_

He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the dresser, grabbing the blue one. "Hold on."

Sophie huffed as she watched him change, climbing onto Annie's step stool and holding up her backpack.

" _Daddy."_

He finished buttoning up and picked up the grey shirt. "I just have to treat this stain."

" _Daddy!"_

Her voice had come up to almost a shrill and it nearly killed him.

He turned toward her, a feeling of guilt welling up in his throat. He was an ass. She deserved his undivided attention, and he was pretty lousy at providing it at times. It was so simple in theory that he could have stopped what he was doing and listened to her, but _no_ he was as Britta used to (?) say, _a self-involved jackass_. He wasn't good at dividing his attention, and she wasn't even a helpless baby.

Sophie was staring at him with even wider eyes, her lip now trembling as she clutched her backpack. He grimaced, placed the shirt back on the dresser, and walked over to pick her up and hoist her to his side.

Regarding her with remorse and concern, he said, "I'm sorry. What's wrong?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder, a thumb in her mouth while continuing to hold onto the backpack with her free hand.

"Munchkin?"

His question was met with silence. He took a deep breath and affected a gentle tone.

"Munchkiners Hobbitty one, the funniest and fartiest girl who ever lived and is secretly a princess or possibly a pink avenger superhero of some sort?"

This question was met with giggles.

" _Daddy."_

"Are you the pink avenger?"

" _I not. I am. I not."_

"Okay." He feigned a side shrug and, relieved that she seemed to be okay, added, "What did you need?"

He tilted his head and regarded her now slight smile. She popped out her thumb and replied, " _I do not."_

"Did you forget?"

" _Yah."_

Letting out a sigh, he kissed her head and inspected her crunchy curls. "Let's see. Was it something about your hair?"

" _No."_

"Your outfit?" He smirked as his eyes skimmed over her purple jean skirt from Shirley and her light yellow t-shirt with glittery puppies on it.

" _No."_

His gaze moved to the backpack. "This?"

Her expression changed to one of recognition as she began to nod vigorously. _"Oh yah."_ She then lifted her head off his shoulder and thrust the backpack toward him.

"What?" He continued to smirk as he walked over to the bed and sat down, placing her to his side. He then unzipped the bag and peered into it to view the blanket, a Winnie the Pooh book, and her bear.

" _Id okay? I take bear wid me?"_

"Oh, you're asking me?"

" _Yah. Mama said no."_

He frowned as he took the bear out and placed it on his lap. Petting its head, he replied, "As much as I'd like to let you take him to school, there's a rule that you're not allowed to take toys from home."

" _But I take Wuffles."_

He chuckled at her equating her dog with a stuffed animal, realizing in that moment that she likely didn't view them that dissimilarly. And of course since Annie had finally relented and agreed to Ruffles joining Ian's class as a mascot for the semester, she would think that her bear would also be welcome on campus. It was difficult to explain to a three year old that rules were sometimes arbitrary.

He patted the bear and placed it in between them on the mattress. "Ruffles will be helping Uncle Ian with his class. But Bear doesn't posses the necessary skills, so alas, he needs to stay home."

" _Why?"_

"Because Bear didn't take psychology."

" _Why?"_

"Because he was lazy. He coasted on his good looks but never absorbed the material."

" _Why?"_

"Because he thought that's all there was to life. He faked a degree, actually. He said he went to his psychology class, but you see, he didn't. And now, it's all catching up to him."

Sophie nodded as if she understood. _"Yeah?"_

Jeff smiled slightly at her reaction as his eyes swept over the bed and spotted the rumpled sheets where Ruthie and Nathan remained and then moved to the crumpled spot at the end of the bed that still had a couple of doggie hairs. He then turned his focus back on Sophie.

"He's very sorry. But even given his limitations, he wants to be better. He wants to be good. So you know what he's going to do?"

He leaned down and made steady eye contact with her as he added, "He's going to stay here, in our nest…"

" _Nesst. Like Biwdies?"_

-"That's right, this is your nest, just like baby birdies. And Bear is going to make sure Count Frogula, Hillary Rodham Kitten, Ruthie, and Nathan all behave and stay in the nest. He's going to tell them some stories so they don't feel lonely and they don't miss you today. And then they'll all be happy when you come back from school and you can kiss and cuddle all of them."

With that, he proceeded to scoop her up and smack her with kisses as she giggled.

Annie watched from the doorway and wasn't so concerned about making the bed anymore before they left for school.

X

X

As Jeff clipped on Ruffles' leash, he glanced up to see Annie smiling at him while she held onto Sophie's hand and waited by the apartment door.

"What?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"You're such a good daddy to Ruffles, too."

He rolled his eyes and then refocused his attentions on the dog, brushing some hair out of her eyes. He briefly pondered if they should have taken her to the groomers before today.

He remarked, "Well, you're a good mommy to her for allowing her to go to school with us today, isn't she munchkin?"

" _Yah, Mama da best!"_

"That's right. She is." He grinned up at Annie.

She returned his smile and continued to squeeze Sophie's hand. "It'll be nice for all of us to attend Greendale as a family."

Jeff nodded and carefully adjusting the new purple collar so that the doggy tag faced the front. He affected a weary sigh and said, "As you've pointed out before, attending Greendale has certain advantages."

"Greendale welcomes all of us."

He remarked dryly, "Give us your disbarred, your poor, your furriness, your baby cherubness."

She chuckled. "We're lucky."

He stood and faced her, barely noticing as Ruffles wagged her tail and Sophie approached her and proceeded to plant kisses all over her nose. As the dog slobbered over Sophie, Jeff pulled Annie into a chaste kiss. Recalling their time alone the night before after Sophie had gone to bed, he made efforts to hold back. Night-before-school-Annie Edison was always pretty intense, which made for a fun 'bedtime' routine. If Sophie and Ruffles hadn't ended up in their bed around midnight he strongly suspected they would have had another round of school preparation time in the morning.

He growled, "Happy first day of school."

She blushed and looked up at him. "We're taking the Lexus?"

He nodded down at her as Sophie attempted to climb up his leg.

She added with a flutter of her eyelashes, "I suppose everyone fits."

He let out a quick laugh and then gave her a slightly reproachful look, to which she responded with a shrug followed by a quick kiss on his cheek. He squinted at her and said, "Now is not the time to discuss that."

"I know. I'm just happy we can make plans for our future as the Edison-Wingers."

" _I wanna pick up."_

They realized they needed to hustle, so Jeff reached down and scooped up Sophie while Annie grabbed her own backpack and Ruffles' leash. Jeff turned and locked the door behind them.

It was only then that they came face to face with the Dean, who was also emerging from the neighboring apartment.

X

X

Jeff continued to groan all the way to campus as Annie turned around in the Lexus to attend to Sophie and Ruffles. She kept shooting him looks as he lamented the idea of the Dean in their daily lives.

"He's already in our daily lives."

"Weekends, Annie. Weekends."

"I know, but clearly he's lonely."

"Christ."

"Jeff."

He made a turn onto Sparrow Road and continued to drive westward. "You know he only did this because he can't let you go."

She arched a brow and waited for him to explain.

He continued, "He's too dependent on you. He knows you'll be graduating."

"I'm not graduating in May. You are."

"Which puts it in his mind that you won't be around forever. But if he lives next door…"

"Jeff, it'll be fine."

X

X

The Greendale eight sat around the study room table, gabbing away as they reunited for their fourth year. Jeff didn't point out that they all saw each other this past weekend anyway, so it really wasn't much of a reunion. His old sarcastic self might have had more to say about it, but upon reflection he considered that his old self wouldn't have hung out with them this past weekend anyway. Likely he would have been face down in a bottle of scotch. Or a redhead.

He looked up from his phone to see Annie watching him with curiosity. He gave a slight smile and then pushed the phone into his pocket and sat up straighter, at that moment fully taking in what the others were saying.

"So this little girl is going to have such a great first day back at daycare, aren't you honey?" Shirley cooed as she gave Sophie a bounce on her lap.

" _I wanna go wid you."_

"Now pumpkin, you don't want to do that. It'll be boring. You'll have a much better time playing with all of your friends."

Sophie began to sulk but then started to laugh as Troy leaned across the table and wiggled his hands behind his ears and rolled his eyes completely back. Shirley instinctively shirked a little and mumbled something about an exorcism.

Pierce tapped the table and said, "Jeffrey, glad you could join us. I hope you weren't freaking out about your impending nuptials."

Jeff rolled his eyes and sat up even straighter, lacing his hands together on the table.

"Pierce, it is so very good to see you once again. Why, it just feels like the day before yesterday since we spoke and you attempted to have me sit for a preliminary portrait."

"Wasn't it the day before yesterday?"

"It was."

"Oh."

Annie took Sophie back from Shirley, and placed her on her lap. She handed her a crayon and pointed to a blank piece of paper on the table. She then smiled and said, "We're getting married two weeks after Jeff's graduation!"

"Oh, honey, so the date's official then?"

Annie grinned as she exchanged looks with Britta across the table. Britta smiled slightly and suppressed a chuckle.

"Yes. Britta's been helping me sort through some ideas."

Shirley looked back and forth between them and smiled tightly. She asked with a lilt in her voice, "Now, you will include me in this right? Just because I didn't have time to plan my own wedding and I run a sandwich shop and I have three kids doesn't mean I can't be involved." She finished her sentence with an affected lightness and more than a hint of martyrdom.

Britta's eyes widened momentarily and she ignored Jeff's kicking of her leg and his subsequent text referring to Shirley's passive aggressiveness and potential humble brag.

Abed merely continued scanning the faces of his friends around the table.

Britta smiled politely at Shirley and said, "Of course. We just didn't want to overwhelm you with the silly stuff at the beginning. But now that Annie and I have narrowed down potential venues, we'd be delighted..."

She suppressed a gasp as another kick came.

-"to have you involved."

"Well thank you, Brit-ta and An-nie. Why I'd be happy to talk to my minister." Shirley laced her fingers on the table and arched a brow in Annie and Jeff's direction.

Annie snapped, "Shirley, for the millionth time, I'm Jewish."

"So you're having a rabbi perform the ceremony then?"

"Well, no…"

Abed cleared his throat and interjected, "Boring!"

They all stopped and turned to stare at him. After an initial flash of annoyance, Troy tilted his head with intrigue and waited.

"We've already had an episode devoted to religious differences."

Jeff smirked. "I'm with Abed on this one. No more religious talk." He ignored Shirley's squint. "Continue, Abed. What should we be focusing on?"

Abed stared at Jeff for a few moments without blinking. He then said, "It's our final year."

Annie smiled sweetly at him. "Abed, it's not my final year. I probably won't graduate until the end of year five." She cast Jeff a quick look as she added, "Or six. Um, because I have to do an internship."

Jeff looked down and began to tap his pencil on the table.

Abed cocked his head. "But what about the rest of us? We know Jeff's graduating. At first I assumed he was our protagonist. But then the story appeared muddled and now I'm convinced although many of us have our side adventures, the story is about you and Jeff and Sophie."

"Awww…"

-"And that means that with Jeff graduating at the end of our fourth season, I am unclear where that leaves the rest of us. Or the main story for that matter."

Jeff dropped his pencil and exchanged concerned looks with Annie. He then leaned forward. "Abed, you will still exist even after I graduate. The story isn't over."

Abed didn't even pause to consider this. "Isn't it, Jeff? I mean we don't even know when the rest of us are graduating."

Everyone looked uncomfortably at each other around the table.

At the silence, Britta began with a slight waver to her voice, "I'm actually graduating at the end of this year with a psych major. I'm applying to a masters program in counseling at a nearby school for the following year."

Abed turned from her toward Shirley.

"Well, I'm also graduating with my degree in business. I'll be still running Shirley's Sandwiches though, but I'm unclear if that will continue to be here or off campus."

Abed's gaze went to Pierce but then moved over to Troy.

Pierce interjected, "Hey, now!"

Troy smiled self-consciously at Abed and then at everyone else. "I'm actually gonna take another year too. After that air conditioning repair disaster I figured those guys are lunatics. I needed to change my major again."

Jeff squinted. "What _is_ your major, anyway?"

"Modern dance."

"Of course it is. Very useful."

"Thanks, man."

Britta shot Jeff a glare and turned back toward Troy. She smiled broadly. "Well, I think that's just wonderful! Good for you, Troy."

He grinned and he and Abed did their handshake.

Jeff cleared his throat. "So I may regret asking this, but Abed…?"

Abed, now holding hands with Troy, faced the group once again. "As you are all aware, my major is film."

"And graduation?"

"I haven't really looked into it."

Jeff pursed his lips in exasperation.

Abed added as he turned toward Annie, "But I'm also really interested in Sophie's plans after graduation."

Sophie's head whipped up from her coloring. _"Bed."_

Abed studied her. "She's getting bigger."

" _I big."_

Before anyone else could speak, the Dean literally pranced into the room and tossed his reins on the study table.

"Well, hello to my favorite study group!"

"Hello Dean!" came the chorus.

The Dean smiled, and placed his hands on his hips as he surveyed the group. "It's so good to see you all once again. Why, I think it's been since Miss Sophie's birthday party. Well, besides my new neighbors. Howdy, Annie, Jeffrey, Sophie."

Jeff cringed and proceeded to bang his head on the study table.

Annie exchanged nervous looks with Shirley and Britta as everyone muttered their confusion.

" _Hi, Dean!"_

"Why hello again, sweetheart."

Abed piped in, "Dean, do you have any announcements? I feel like we need one to anchor us to the new season."

The Dean stared at him for a moment and blinked.

"Abed, you know this isn't a season. It's a semester."

Abed cocked his head and let go of Troy's hand so that he could gesticulate appropriately. "Are you saying we're getting a shorter season then? Do we end after one semester, effectively airing our holiday episodes at wildly inappropriate times?"

"Now Abed, that's absurd. We will not have a shortened season... or school year."

"Good. Announcements?"

The Dean momentarily eyed Abed with some concern but then quickly changed modes to addressing the group. "Well, besides welcoming you all to a new school year, I have to add that we've been really very lucky already. As Annie here can attest, we almost had a gas leak, but we were able to fix it."

Abed cocked his head once again. "So there is no gas leak?"

"No. We fixed it."

"Did Ben Chang fix it?"

"No, Abed. And you know perfectly well he's now going by the name Kevin. He's doing really well in his Spanish classes, by the way. Why, I may almost have to re-hire him after _he_ graduates! But no, it was Professor Hickey who noticed the gas and took care of the situation. That man has very strong hands."

The Dean proceeded to fan himself.

X

X

The day continued fairly uneventfully for Greendale standards. Annie and Jeff dropped Sophie off at campus daycare and gave her strong hugs and kisses as they departed. Due to the History of Ice Cream turning out to be a scam, they joined their classmates in their regular history class with Professor Cornwallis, an ornery sort. It didn't get past Jeff how he kept scoping out the female students. Feeling a proactive impulse over his Lady and his lady friends, he nevertheless held back, feeling he really didn't need to get into another showdown with a professor like last year in Biology. The guy hadn't crossed a line, and he needed to graduate on time if he and Annie were going to start moving ahead with their plans.

 _Plans. Right._

He was startled out of his thoughts by Troy slamming his fist down on the cafeteria table.

 _Oh, that's right, we're now at lunch._

"I danced my way around his ass!"

"Good job, Troy." Britta smiled and her face fell as Troy high-fived an almost disinterested Abed.

Jeff felt Abed's eyes boring into him. Once again, it was something he made the tactical decision to ignore.

X

X

The day carried on, Annie making sure to take time to go over to the daycare and witness Ian and Ruffles' visit. Unsurprisingly, Ruffles was a hit with the kids, and Sophie especially was delighted to see her furry friend.

Annie watched the interplay and remarked, "I was wrong. This was a good idea."

Ian shrugged, his hands in his pockets, having let Ruffles free in the enclosed play area. He observed, "She's very well-behaved. My class adored her."

"She would have been lonely at home. Thank you."

"It's no problem. We bonded."

She smiled self-consciously. "I'm sorry I was so unreasonable about it. I was dealing with a lot."

"And what do we call that Miss Edi..err..Annie?"

"Deflection."

"A-plus."

She rolled her eyes but he suspected she had more than a tad of pride in her response. He decided to take advantage of the opportunity and widened his brown eyes.

She noticed but waited. Jeff always did say Ian had difficulty letting a sweet moment be and tended to say something asinine. But she couldn't believe that a man as obviously caring as he would do that right now. She wondered sometimes if Jeff brought out the jerkiness in Ian. It couldn't have been easy to be the second to Jeff Winger.

Clearing his throat, Ian shifted slightly. "I was wondering if I could request a favor."

She arched a brow. "Sure."

He immediately blurted, "Perhaps you would consider what you yanks call a _double-date_ between you and Jeffrey and Britta and myself?"

Annie instantly relaxed and felt a waive of affection for their oddly vested friend. Sometimes she wondered if he got overheated in his get up.

"That sounds like a great idea!" She paused before adding, "Did you clear this with Britta?"

His eyes growing wider, he shook his head. "Alas, I have not, but with your enthusiasm, I am confident she will say yes."

"Why wouldn't Britta say yes?"

"Why did you make sure to ask me if I had consulted with her first?"

Annie nodded and turned to look back at the kids playing with Ruffles. "You've got me there. I get it."

"But you're on board?"

"I'll talk to Jeff."

"Excellent."

"What do you call a double-date in England anyway?"

"A _kitchen sink cookie_."

X

X

Jeff nearly jumped when Abed locked into step with him as he rounded the corner near the gymnasium.

"Abed."

"Jeff."

He continued to stroll across the quad, his eyes briefly moving to the left to take in the sight of his friend before resuming his target of the far hall.

"Are you planning on telling me why you're stalking me?"

"I'm not stalking you, Jeff. We're both in political science next period."

"And how do you know I'm in political science?"

"I had Pavel hack into the mainframe and grab your class schedule."

Instantly regretting his decision to engage further, Jeff asked, "Seriously?"

"No. You told me this morning before you began to check your mysterious texts."

Jeff came to an abrupt stop and turned to regard him with annoyance.

"What do you want?"

If he didn't know better, he could have sworn Abed almost smirked.

"It's okay, Jeff. I forgive you."

"What the hell? For what?"

A corner of Abed's mouth went up in an uncharacteristically and relatively animated expression. "I know you and Annie were already engaged before the proposal."

Jeff found his shoulders relaxing somewhat. Sometimes he wondered if Abed did know everything. Maybe he should ask him some questions about the future and get his thoughts on it. The almost crippling worry and doubt was kind of driving him insane. But he decided to hold back for now.

He let out a chuckle of relief and briefly looked up at the sky. "God, Abed."

"I'm not God. Continue."

Jeff shook his head. "I'm sorry, buddy. We didn't want to let you guys down."

Abed cocked his head. "I know, and I appreciate that. I got my scene."

"You certainly did."

"Thank you."

Jeff let out a long sigh. "How did you know?"

"She was wearing the ring in the carriage. I saw it when I was helping her alit."

"Ahh."

"Don't worry. You guys were smooth when you had her remove it on the steps. I don't think anyone else caught on."

"Good."

Jeff motioned for them to continue on their way to class, but he was surprised when Abed reached out and lightly tapped his arm. He let it fall to his side and waited for whatever it was that Abed had to say.

"Just one thing, Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

Abed seemed to consider what he was about to say for a few moments, which made Jeff uneasy. He was damned if he knew where this was going, but then again Abed possessed an eerie ability to see through things. He wondered what he knew.

Abed took another long look into Jeff's eyes before he asked, "Could you consult me before you take any more deviations from the plot? I might miss out on some crucial scenes for my film."

In the moment, Jeff uncharacteristically had no words. He merely nodded.

"So you promise, then?"

Snapping out of his momentary haze of stupidity, Jeff groaned. "I have no idea what you mean by _the plot_. And there's no way I can anticipate what kinds of scenes you need for your film."

Abed shook his head and made a faint tsking sound.

"Jeff, I think you know what I mean. There was the proposal. What follows are some other key plot points. I need to capture any announcements you may make or any other public events."

"Abed."

"Give me a heads up."

"Goddammit, Abed."

They continued on in silence as they proceeded across the quad.


	16. Paranormal Parentage

**Chapter 16: Paranormal Parentage**

Summary: The gang celebrates Halloween without a gas leak

xxxx

A/N: I had been hoping to post this chapter in time for Halloween, but alas it was not up to my standards at that time and I held off. Hope you all enjoy anyway.

Warning: Mentions of childhood abuse

xxxx

The semester hummed along at a typical Greendale pace. Annie was always thrilled to start her classes and relished properly preparing Sophie for 'school', and Jeff busied himself with trying to find as many sneaky ways he could to make his life easier in all of his courses. Annie would inevitably find out about his maneuvers and give him a good talking too, which Jeff didn't appear to mind in the least. If he had to be honest, he may have acknowledged that it was more of a game at this point in their relationship; he slacked, she chastised him, and then he was faced with his punishment, which tended to involve a study lesson. Which was then followed by a makeup (out).

It had been going pretty well, even if the Dean did now live next door. Jeff did his best to avoid him, but that was becoming increasingly difficult, as their favorite school administrator tended to be in need of random kitchen spices around dinnertime. Annie grit her teeth and plastered on her most cheerful face at each interruption, with Jeff chuckling 'I-told-you-sos' which earned him an eye roll.

The weeks clicked by, and soon it was Halloween. Jeff had the best costume idea for this year. Normally he slacked off even there and went with the most Jeff Winger ensemble he could get away with, merely adding an extra element of carefully arranged sexiness. But this year he thought he'd be bolder. After all, he had his Lady, and she had agreed to be his Lady forever. It was time for her to be his Ring Girl.

It ended up not going as planned. Annie had given him a stare down at the suggestion, which initially puzzled him.

"Seriously, you want me to be your _Ring Girl_?"

"Yeah?" He shrugged and grabbed an apple off the counter, lifting his head in time to catch the eye roll.

"Jeff."

"What?"

She walked around the counter to face him, her eyes nearly level with his since he was sitting on a stool. He briefly took in the fact that this was a rare event and noted that she was perhaps even more intense at her level. He inched back.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she explained, "I refuse to parade myself around town wearing nothing but a skimpy slutty outfit."

In an effort to distance himself from her unnerving and surprising energy, Jeff took a bite out of the apple. He then added a statement, which in retrospect he thought was probably not the best.

"Now you sound like Britta."

She continued her glare, which made him soften just a bit. He placed the apple on the counter and moved closer to her and cocked his head, doing his upmost best to figure out what was going on. She then sighed and relaxed her expression.

"I think Britta has a point, actually. I don't really want to spend Halloween with my midsection exposed and be cold."

"That won't be a problem. If you get cold, I'll just wrap my robe around you." He grinned and waited for her to join him in realizing the potential sexy benefits of their team costume.

She chuckled at that part but then with a tuck of her hair behind her ear, explained more fully.

"I don't want to flash the whole world my stomach."

"Huh?"

"My _stomach_. You know what I'm talking about."

She gestured at her body and bit her lip. His eyes widened in realization.

"Don't worry about that. You're beautiful."

She shook her head and initially resisted his efforts to pull her into a hug, but then quickly acquiesced. As he held her, he realized maybe he had been a tad insensitive. But he honestly didn't even see her stretch marks anymore. He just saw her.

Placing a kiss on the top of her head, he said in a low voice, "I'm sorry. If you feel uncomfortable with it, I understand. You don't have to be my Ring Girl."

"Thank you, Jeff."

"In public."

That earned him a swat. And a kiss.

As they pulled out of the embrace, Annie batted her eyelashes and remarked with affected nonchalance, "Maybe next year I will show my stomach a little more."

"Hmm?" He reached over to grab his remaining apple.

She waited until he bit into it before she said, "Maybe I'll go as a pregnant nun."

His eyes widened as he almost spit out his bite.

She added, "I know. It would be hilarious. Because I'm Jewish."

He quickly chewed as her eyes danced, watching him attempt to collect himself. He then swallowed and said, "Annie, we said we'd need to have some more conversations before we'd go ahead and do something like that."

Still standing in front of the stool, she leaned in and rested her forehead against his.

"I know, mister. I think this is part of those conversations, don't you? Imagine next year if I were to go as a pregnant nun."

"Like a visibly pregnant nun?" He dropped the remainder of the apple on the counter.

"Yes."

He gulped again. "Okay." He moved his head back and suddenly pulled her onto his lap as she squealed.

He quickly added, "I meant I will _imagine_ it. I'll _think_ about it."

She nodded in satisfaction and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He silently prayed he wouldn't have any more nightmares and made a mental note not to mention any of this to Abed. He didn't need a lecture, a forewarning of any sort, or an oddly cold comment. He needed to focus on Annie. He so much wanted to give her what she desired, but he was going to have to stop his thoughts from racing before he could.

X

X

X

Jeff ended up being a boxer, after all he couldn't turn down the idea of showing off his chest. Annie had feigned incredulity at his choice but then licked his abs before they went out. She had also decided to tease him a little by being a _Ring_ girl. He had to admit he found it more than a little freaky. And unnervingly more than a little hot.

They were both excited to take Sophie Trick-or-Treating for the first time she would actually remember it. They had asked her input on costumes of course, and she had made a decisive and loud declaration that she was going to be Batman. With Abed and Troy's assistance, they had picked up a cute Batman costume for her, which she had initially scowled at.

Jeff crouched down and held the costume in front of him, meeting Sophie's scrunched up face. He pleaded, "Come on, munchkin. This is what you wanted. Batman."

" _Id NOT Batman."_

Annie dropped down next to him and gestured toward the pointy hat and cape. "Yes, sweetie. This is a Batman costume."

" _No. Id not pink."_

Jeff let out a long sigh as he continued to kneel in front of her. He explained with an attempt at a steady and reassuring voice, "Batman isn't pink."

" _I wanna be pink."_

Jeff's frustration mounting, Annie swept in, gingerly taking the costume from him while smirking mischievously. Sophie returned her grin, seemingly intrigued by her mother's playful demeanor.

Annie leaned in to Sophie and whispered, "You know what? I think we can make a pink Batman."

" _Yay, mama!"_

Annie clapped her hands as she exclaimed, "Yay!"

Jeff couldn't help but laugh, and as he tried to ask Annie what she was up to, she brushed him off and picked up Sophie, carrying her and the costume off toward Sophie's room.

X

X

X

On Halloween, The Edison-Wingers made it to their destination, Troy, Abed, and Ruffles in tow. A tan-shirted and dark-vested Andre opened the door of his house, eyes bulging as he caught Annie's crazy makeup and then breaking out in boisterous laughter as he looked down to see a small figure with a sparkly pink cape, bright pink mask, and candy-cane striped glasses on the outside.

"Well now, who are you supposed to be? Batman?"

" _I a Batman Pwincess."_

"Awesome."

Troy shoved against Jeff's back and whined, "Let's get inside. I'm cold."

Jeff turned around and squinted at him. "You're _cold_? I'm the one with a bare chest. You're wearing a tiger costume. It looks pretty warm to me."

"I'm Hobbes." Troy wobbled back and forth as he continued to stare past Jeff into the inviting warmth of the Bennett residence and a bowl of candy corn on the hall table.

Jeff groaned. "I know you're Hobbes."

Annie let a spiky blonde-haired Abed escort Sophie inside as she hugged Andre. She then turned toward Troy and Jeff and asked, "Who's Hobbes?"

Jeff stared at her incredulously. "Are you serious? Abed's Calvin."

She shrugged as she placed her purse and Sophie's backpack on a bench just inside the doorway. "I still don't get it."

Jeff caught Andre's look of astonishment and then turned back to Annie. He asked, his voice wavering, "Calvin and Hobbes?"

"Am I supposed to know who they are?"

He involuntarily pursed his lips but was left speechless. Troy patted him on his back in an attempt to soothe but perhaps more likely push him further into the house.

Troy stated matter-of-factly, "It's okay, man. I didn't know who they were either until Abed showed me some cartoons."

Annie furrowed her brow. "Are they are the Cartoon Network?"

Andre exchanged looks with Jeff and they both opened their mouths to speak before Abed stuck his head back from the living area, Sophie now in his arms.

"Boring! We know you're both old. Annie's of Troy's generation. She doesn't get the reference. Blah blah blah blah blah. Age difference. Scandalous."

They all seemed taken aback for a moment, Annie the only one not seeming to care too much as she leaned forward and began making silly faces at Sophie who then started giggling.

Jeff smiled momentarily at this interaction but then shifted his attention and asked, "Are you being sarcastic, Abed?"

"Nooo Jeff. I am nooot being sarcastic."

Troy shrugged and slapped Jeff on the back once again. "He's just excited to begin Halloween. Come on, I want to see Shirley and the kids. She told me all about their Star Wars costumes. And then we get candy!"

Jeff sighed and allowed Troy to push him inside.

Andre escorted them all into the house and closed the door behind Ruffles. Troy bounded ahead and took Sophie from Abed, making his way toward the candy corn. Annie laughed and followed them all into the living room.

Andre leaned toward Jeff and whispered, "I'm just happy I get to stay behind with the kids after Trick-or-Treating while you guys go to that weirdo Greendale Party."

Jeff nodded with understanding but then found himself saying, "It's actually not that bad. I'm hoping Leonard knocks himself unconscious after doing a keg stand."

Andre chuckled, "That old man is so old."

"Yeah, makes me feel young." Jeff paused but then asked, "Calvin and Hobbes wasn't that long ago, was it?"

"No man, nooooo." Andre hesitated but then asked with a tremble," Plus Abed knows who they were, and he's about the same age as Annie and Troy, right?"

Jeff frowned. "You know, I'm actually not sure how old…"

He was interrupted by a woof.

Ruffles, wearing a referee sweater and a whistle around her neck, looked up and wagged her tail. Jeff had to acknowledge at least one member of the family followed his idea of a team costume. As cute as Sophie was, part of him was still a little bummed that she didn't want to be their referee.

Andre smiled down at the dog. "Nice."

At that moment, Thanos scooted around the corner, holding Dino upside down by his ankles.

"Hey Jeff."

Jeff gestured down at a shrieking Dino, who was covered in green body paint and a torn shirt. He suspected the verbalizations were more of delight rather than terror. Still, he was pretty screechy.

He winced as he remarked, "That's some costume."

"He's obsessed with comic books. He keeps asking me to read them to him at bedtime."

Jeff smiled as he knelt to unclip Ruffles and set her loose. He stood and then took in the sight of Thanos' Spiderman pants. Part of him was a little jealous.

"You're doing a family costume."

"Yeah, but Daniela couldn't join us. She was supposed to be Wolverine. She even had the cool gloves." Thanos pouted as he bent down to let Dino free, the kid promptly squealing and running off toward the living room after Ruffles.

Andre shook his head and began to chuckle. "That's what you get for taking advantage of Jeff and Annie."

With a roll of his eyes, Thanos stood. "Yeah, I know."

Jeff frowned as he looked back and forth between them. "What am I missing?"

Andre nodded at Thanos, who smiled sheepishly and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He tilted his head and explained, "Daniela's not feeling so good."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, she's pregnant."

Andre began almost convulsing in laughter. Jeff watched their interplay of knowing looks and as he was about to give his congratulations, he raised his eyebrows in realization.

"Hey!"

Thanos shrugged. "You guys were really cool in letting Dino sleepover. He's been bugging us so much lately, so we were having trouble working on his sibling. I love my son but he's a cockblocker."

Jeff pursed his lips for just a moment before he made the decision to relax completely and shook Thanos' hand. "I feel your pain. Oh, and no worries. Happy to help. Congrats."

Andre stepped in between them and placed his hands on their shoulders. "On that note, let's get to Trick-or-Treating!"

Jeff leaned in to Thanos and said, "You know, there is a _Thanos_ in the Marvel Universe."

"I don't want to be no villain around my kid."

Jeff nodded, impressed with that quick response. Thanos then exchanged bemused looks with Andre as they shouted in unison, "Jeff knows Marvel!"

Jeff himself instinctively turning away, his cheeks feeling hot. Yet part of him didn't really mind the teasing. He merely uttered, "Yeah, yeah."

Continuing to grin, Thanos exclaimed, "I knew there was a reason I always gave you a parking discount!"

"Discount? The hell that was a _discount_!"

X

X

X

"She was the only _Batman Princess_." Annie grinned as she leaned into Britta's side as the group, minus Pierce, made their way toward the gymnasium. The plan was to attend some of the early evening Greendale Halloween Raffle and meet up with Ian before heading over to Vicki's party.

Britta returned her smile and allowed Annie to lock their arms, the weight of her ham costume almost toppling her over for a second.

She remarked, "Yeah, who would have thought all the other little girls would have gone as _plain old princesses_."

Annie began to twirl her wig with her free right hand as she mused, "And Dino was so sweet as the Hulk. And Little Baby Ben as an ewok was super cute, wasn't he?" She cast a glance over at Jeff who was on her right and doing his best to stop Troy from jumping into him.

Meeting her sparkling eyes for a brief moment, he replied, "Yeah, he was." He smirked slightly but then was hit with Troy's full weight as he landed on his foot.

"Goddamn it Troy!"

"Sorry man."

"You're not Tigger you know. You're Hobbes."

"Whoops."

With a conspiring grin, Shirley nudged her way in between Annie and Britta, effectively pushing Britta to the side. She said with a lilt in her voice, "And the boys as Storm Troopers."

Annie exclaimed, "Oh, they were all so cute! Jeeeeff, weren't they cute?"

"Yeah. Ow. Stop it, Troy."

Shirley shifted her gaze between Annie and Britta and then loudly cleared her throat. "Ahem. No one is commenting on my Princess Leia costume." She began to overtly preen.

Britta scowled but then seemed to do some mental calculations and said with a sigh, "Yeah, Shirley. Kick ass costume."

"Oh, this old thing?"

They entered the gymnasium and surveyed an array of likely no-no juice free punch and sweets. Various other students were milling about, all dressed in a variety of impressive to downright lazy costumes.

Abed shook his head as he surveyed the scene.

"Magnitude's a hot pocket. Hot pockets don't pop."

"Pocket pop!"

"No."

An impatient Abed shoved a surprised Magnitude out of his way as he headed for the plate of cookies near the far wall. Troy followed.

Britta turned to face the remainder of the group and exclaimed, "How come no one's asked me who I am?"

Jeff groaned as Annie lightly punched him in the shoulder. She turned toward Britta, and raising her eyebrows, started to speak, but Shirley cut her off.

"Why, honey, are you a ham?"

Britta nodded.

"That's umm…creative."

Britta immediately rolled her eyes as she turned toward Annie and Jeff. Annie opened her mouth yet again, but Jeff blurted, "Yeah, a ham. Or some sort of meat." His eyes widening in realization, he exclaimed, "Oh, I get it! Because you're a vegetarian. It was the most horrifying thing you could think of. Christ, Britta."

Annie shoved his shoulder and stepped forward, lightly touching the side of Britta's costume. Opening her eyes wide, she said with all tenderness, "I get it. You're Scout. From To Kill a Mockingbird, right?"

Britta smiled tightly and nodded perhaps a little too swiftly. This did not go unnoticed by Jeff, who squinted at her with suspicion.

Annie returned Britta's smile and added in a softer voice, "And this costume saved Scout's life. No one could hurt her in this. Britta, this is amazing!" She gave Britta a tender and knowing look, which instantly softened Britta's expression and she began tearing up.

Jeff was now feeling like an ass as he made the connection to what he could only vaguely suspect was Britta's history of childhood abuse. He exchanged concerned looks with Shirley and they stepped forward.

He groaned and placed his arms around all his Ladies. "Jesus, Britta. Sorry. Great costume."

"Jesus doesn't like to be…"

"Not now, Shirley."

"Oookay. This is nice."

It was at that moment that Ian came zooming into the gymnasium wearing a bib and holding a giant cardboard fork and knife. Spying Britta in the middle of the now breaking apart huddle, he licked his lips and shouted, "I want to eat some ham!"

"Oh my god in heaven!"

x

x

x

It took a few minutes for Shirley to calm down, but Annie did her best to hold her hand and affect a proper look of stunned disbelief. Britta had marched toward Ian and was seething, as Jeff took some time to take in the scene before stepping toward them and placing both his hands on their respective shoulders and hocks.

He leaned down and asked in an almost whisper, "So, miscommunication? Or coordination?"

"Jackass."

Ian smiled slightly at Britta before turning toward Jeff and huffing. "I'll have you know that I was merely being an insensitive idiot. Britta here told me she had this lovely costume and I thought I'd play a joke on her."

Britta rolled her eyes and placed her hand over his mouth. "Stop it. No one believes that." Removing her hand she turned toward Jeff and also addressed Annie and Shirley. "Fine. I asked him to wear the bib. He's supposed to be a carnivore. It's my version of hell."

Annie asked, "Seriously, Britta? You're not Scout?"

"No, but hey, that sounded like a way classier costume." Britta dipped her head as best she could and smiled apologetically.

Shirley clutched her bag and shook her head. "Oh honey, I'm not afraid of carnivores or ham but it seems like…." She hesitated and then added , "Nevermind. You look very umm..nice?"

"Thanks, Shirley."

They all ignored Kevin, dressed as a dinner mint and now standing behind Ian, as he attempted to join in the conversation.

"Hey guys, I'm part of the horror-show too, Ian and I are kind of a pair."

Ian deftly brushed him aside as he placed an arm around Britta and whispered something to her, which earned him a small smile.

Jeff glanced at Annie, who shook her head in exasperation, and then turned his attentions back to the group.

"I say we find the dynamic duo, who I guess are temporarily the _old timey_ cartoon duo, get our boring punch on, and maybe win a raffle before we head to the college kegger. Let's go."

With that, Jeff held out his arm for his Lady, but to his disappointment, she was already linking arms with Britta and Shirley. She smiled broadly at them and asked, "Girls?"

Shirley squealed, "Girls!"

Britta smirked. "Yeah, okay. Girls."

Jeff watched as the three of them skipped off toward Troy and Abed.

Kevin yelled, "Hey, wait up! Girls! Mints!"

Jeff chuckled but then made the mistake of turning toward his left, coming face to face with a wide-eyed Ian, still bib clad and holding his giant utensils.

Ian wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in with not even close to a whisper, " Just so you know, I am dabbling in vegetarianism but sometimes I like a good juicy…"

-"Stop."

"Well, err, fine then."

Jeff rebuffed Ian's attempts to interlace their arms, lightly swatting him several times before Ian gave up and began to mope.

Jeff let out a long sigh. "You know, this is almost as awkward as that cringey double-date or kitchen cookie thing you made us do the other week."

Ian opened his eyes even wider, feigning befuddlement. "Jeffrey, what on earth are you referring to? Britta and I had a lovely time."

"Riiight."

"As did Annie, I believe. Those two are thick as thieves these days." Ian jerked his head in the direction of the Ladies, Jeff's eyes following until he spied them all near the punch.

Annie had tucked part of her long black wig behind one ear and was beaming as Britta prattled on about something. He kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to sense his gaze. Within a few moments, she looked over at him and smiled shyly, ducking her head just a tad. He made the tactical decision to maintain a lustful stare and was rewarded when her cheeks turned pink.

Having observed the interplay, Ian loudly cleared his throat and remarked, "Jeffrey, you are a lucky man. Abs of steel, as they say." He let his eyes sweep over Jeff's exposed torso and then added, "And that lovely creature over there. Looking appropriately ghastly on such an occasion."

Noticing Annie slightly turning away in embarrassment, Jeff couldn't help but vaguely hear Ian mention his abs and think back to earlier when Annie had been more than a little enthusiastic. He was seriously hoping for a repeat performance when they got home coupled with some extras.

Damn he knew he looked good tonight.

He reflected on how the evening so far was perfect. Sophie had enjoyed greeting everyone in her adorable if not slightly confusing costume, Ruffles had behaved herself in accompanying them Trick-or-Treating through the neighborhood with the Bennetts, Pierce was absent, and he and Annie were deliciously flirting with each other. He couldn't ask for a better Halloween.

It was at that moment the Dean made his entrance dressed as a Ring Girl. Annie's head snapped up and she screamed in intense frustration. The only thing that saved her going off on him for being inappropriate with her soon-to-be-husband was the emergence of Stephen Spreck, dressed in a blue silk boxing robe.

X

X

X

Their plans for the party took a detour. After Troy received an emergency call from Pierce, they all headed over to the mansion to rescue him from his panic room.

In the frenzy to locate the red notebook with the code, they split up. Abed grabbed Annie and they disappeared from the library before Jeff could react.

"Dammit! There must be a lever here somewhere." He began running his hands over the various books in the gigantic bookshelf.

Britta yawned. "Let's just find the notebook so we can get out of here and join Ian and Kevin at the party."

"Because the other parts of your costume aren't here, you're not scary anymore, Britta. Not that you were scary before. To me. But I'm not a lunatic."

"Vegetarians aren't lunatics."

"I have my abs to think of. They need protein."

"Yeah, everyone can see your abs, douche."

Put off by their juvenile banter, Shirley yanked on Troy's furry sleeve and they shuffled down the hall in search of the notebook.

Jeff groaned as he stared up the bookcase. "I can't find it."

Britta shrugged inside her ham suit. "I suggest we just go around."

"Huh?"

She sighed and then explained, "That wall of books, if that's where they went, must turn around inside the room over there." She gestured down the hallway.

Jeff followed her as she waddled out of the room.

X

X

X

They didn't end up finding Annie and Abed. It turns out there wasn't a room next door, at least one which was accessible from the immediate hallway. They made the decision to follow the corridor until they came to a room. Once inside, they realized it was unfortunately Pierce's bedroom with no signs of Annie or Abed.

Jeff attempted to stop Britta from searching for the notebook, arguing that he didn't think they'd find it anyway and hey who really missed Pierce, and more importantly that he'd rather find Annie. Britta merely scowled at him as she proceeded to look through a desk.

"Annie's fine, you know. She's just off on an adventure with Abed. She'll be back."

Jeff frowned as he plopped down on a gaudy purple chaise lounge and pulled out his phone from his robe pocket. He spied the lock screen, which was a picture of Annie holding Sophie on her lap. He sighed as he realized there was no signal.

As he began to distract himself by accessing his photos, he muttered, "I know."

Britta snorted as she continued to rifle through the desk. "You're so lovesick it's kind of hilarious."

He ignored her and then broke out in a grin as he viewed the latest photos. There were several blurry pictures of Sophie at very close range in her pink mask. He began involuntarily chuckling.

Britta stopped her endeavors and joined him on the chaise lounge, awkwardly seating herself within the confines of her ham. She tilted her head so that she could see, and he turned the phone toward her.

He continued to laugh. "She must have taken some selfies."

Britta smiled. "That's really cute."

"The munchkin is sneaky. If she were here, she'd probably find Pierce's stupid notebook in about five seconds. Failing that, she'd break into that panic room without it."

Britta watched his face and continued to smile. "I'm glad you and Annie are together, you know. She and Sophie are good for you. And I know you make Annie really happy."

He may have been a little disarmed by her words. He relaxed his shoulders and continued to stare down at the phone. "Thanks."

After a few moments of silence, he looked over at her and asked, "Hey, you have brothers, right?"

Britta huffed. "You know I do. You met my nephew."

He smirked. "Right." He added, "Sorry about that, by the way."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well." She cleared her throat and then continued, "Yes, I have two older brothers. So what?"

"Did you like having siblings when you were growing up?"

She frowned and began to kick the carpet with her brown boots. "I guess. We had fun. But they were a lot older than me, so I dunno, we weren't really close."

He looked back down and began to awkwardly press buttons on his phone. He affected a nonchalant manner as he asked, "The age difference was too much?"

"I actually have a much better relationship with them than I do with my parents."

"What's the deal with you and your parents anyway? You don't see them." He cast a side-glance at her and noticed her tense, her gaze still on her boots.

She replied simply, "They never believed me."

He was a little startled by her statement and waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he knew he was right in his assumptions. God, he didn't want to have been right. He felt something shift in his chest.

He carefully placed his phone back in his robe pocket and turned toward her so that he was viewing her side profile. Even in her ham oddness, he was struck by how sad she looked. Almost defeated. He never thought he'd describe Britta in that way. She always seemed like she was fighting something. Or someone. Fuck.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She turned toward him and let out an incongruent low laugh.

He wasn't finding anything funny about the current situation and didn't want to even begin to pretend. All he could manage was a soft voiced, "Britta."

She met his eyes briefly before looking away and letting out a long sigh. She explained, "Do you know to this day they still pretend we're a happy family? They send me gifts all the time and try to pay for my expenses. I suspect it's because they feel guilty. See, I think they _know_ they were wrong, but they'll never admit it. They just think they can buy me stuff and be all cheery and then I'll just be normal."

"Hey, you're kind of normal." He awkwardly punched her in the shoulder. He knew it was lame, but he didn't know what to say.

She rolled her eyes but didn't appear to hate him for it.

"They hated it when I crashed their car, when I slept with a bunch of random dudes while I was in high school, when I dropped out of school to follow Radiohead and when I moved to New York. They just want me to settle down and bake cookies and give them grandchildren and smile sweetly. And pretend. But I can't."

She let her face fall back into a somber expression and proceeded to make steady and unnerving eye contact. He nodded slowly in comprehension.

"That makes sense. You know, I'd be happy to go back to my evil lawyer ways. We can find something to sue them with."

She shook her head and slapped his knee, her face instantly reddening as she realized his robe was still half open. She pulled back and then laughed nervously.

Oblivious to her embarrassment, as his mind was still on her disturbing story, he shrugged. "Okay. I offered."

"Thanks for not fake texting during this conversation."

"No problem."

Abruptly shifting gears, she asked, "So should we talk about these now?" She indicated with her head toward his boxing gloves, which were placed to his left on the chaise lounge.

"Hmm?"

She picked one up and turned a little tag out with an aura of a magician. "I spotted his earlier. William Winger."

He instinctively grabbed the glove back from her and held it tightly.

"Crap."

"Talk to me."

X

X

X

Annie watched the video footage with intense fascination. She whispered, "This is so creepy. I love it."

She proceeded to do a little bounce in her seat as Abed nodded twice and handed her a bag of popcorn he had somehow procured during their adventure. Without questioning his gesture, she reached over and took the bag, opening it and plopping a few bits into her mouth.

Abed watched her for a moment before he asked, "You'd tell me if you were going to deviate from the plot, right?"

She barely registered his question as she leaned in toward monitor number three and watched as Troy jumped on the leather swing. She muttered, "Yes, of course."

Abed suddenly cocked his head. "You're supposed to plan a big wedding and then after a series of minor hijinks, get married in the finale."

"That's my plan too, Abed." She winced as she realized what was going on with Troy and Shirley. Poor Shirley.

"Will you go with Jeff to see his father?"

Annie stopped munching on the popcorn and turned to face him, her eyes wide with concern. "Abed, Jeff's not planning to see his father."

"But he's wearing his boxing gloves." He gestured with his hand and then stared at it, making a fist.

She bit her lip and nodded, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. She explained in a soft voice, "They're the only things he has of his father. It's a happy memory, actually. His dad boxed, and he'd watch him in the ring at the gym sometimes."

Abed uncharacteristically allowed her to continue to squeeze his hand. He asked for clarification, "Happy memory?"

"Yes. And I'm pretty sure you know his father didn't confine his punches to a ring." Her voice cracked and she gulped down a sob as she added, "And while I don't understand how Jeff could have a happy memory of his father punching someone, I don't want to judge him for that. My guess is it's the only way he can have anything to hold onto that isn't completely toxic." She then added in a low voice, "The man was a monster."

"The gloves then?"

"As much as I want to burn them, I'll let Jeff keep them. I can't make any of his pain go away, but I can be supportive."

Abed appeared to take a moment to process this information. Watching as a tear fell down Annie's cheek, he used his free hand to remove her grasp, noting she barely seemed to register his action.

He remarked, "That's why you didn't want to be his Ring Girl."

Closing her eyes, she smiled tightly in response.

He then asked, "Why don't you think he'll go see him?"

She opened her eyes and stared at the far monitor, not really viewing it but more of as a way to manage being under the intensity of Abed's stare.

She let out an exasperated sigh and replied, "Because he doesn't want to. There's no relationship there left to salvage. His father hurt him, and he hurt his poor mother. Jeff doesn't have any reason to attempt to reconcile with him or forgive him."

"Revenge?"

"No. He's focused on building a life with me. He wouldn't do that."

Abed nodded. "That's pretty much what he told me a few months ago."

"I know. I was there." She wiped a tear from her eye and turned back completely toward the video displays, this time not touching the popcorn.

Abed pressed, "How do you feel about your father?"

X

X

X

After the big reveal that Pierce had been faking them out with being locked in the panic room and the second surprise that Gilbert had been living in the mansion undetected, the gang began to disperse.

"It's getting late. I should go home to my sweet children." Shirley clutched her bag as she looked toward Jeff and Annie. Jeff, now holding Annie's hand, sighed as he glanced toward the wall clock.

"Yeah, it's late." He looked down at Annie, who nodded her agreement. He added, "We'll skip the party and go back to the house. I'm sure they're all passed out in a sugar coma on the living room floor anyway. We can scoop up the munchkin and throw her in the backseat."

Annie smirked up at him. They then said their goodbyes to Troy, Abed, and Britta so that they could make their way to Vicki's party. Pierce and Gilbert elected to remain at the mansion, Abed helpfully pointing out it was their only viable course of action since the last time Pierce was alone with Vicki she stabbed him in the face.

x

x

x

Jeff sat on the bed, still clad in his robe. He examined the gloves, his finger tracing over the name of William Winger. He thought back to his unsettling conversation with Britta, and he knew he had been foolish to hold onto the gloves. His father was a terrible person, and he didn't need to grasp onto a small memory of a time when his father was not actively abusing him or his mother to feel like a whole person now. His life was so much better now without his father. His mother's life was so much better.

Screw William Winger.

He placed the gloves in his nightstand drawer while making the note to do something dramatic with them soon. Maybe Annie would be up for another midnight trip to Greendale so they could start a fire. Her burning his memento box was pretty wild.

He was interrupted in his thoughts as Annie carefully entered the room and whispered, "She's asleep."

He realized in that moment that Annie had washed off her makeup and taken off the wig. He asked, "No more Samara?"

She smiled and shook her head. She then joined him on the bed. "I'm sorry we missed the party but I'm glad we made the decision to come home."

"Yeah of course."

She scooted a little closer to him and looked at him intently. "I was thinking, and this may seem out of the blue, but I just really need to say it before I lose my nerve."

He was taken aback by her shift in tone and merely swallowed thickly. "Go ahead."

She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I think it's time I see my dad."

X

X

X

Jeff was awoken by the familiar scuffling near his side of the bed. He cracked an eye and saw the faint outline of Sophie's form along with Ruffles. It was fairly dark, but they were slightly illuminated by the glow from his bedside alarm clock.

"What is it, munchkin?"

He heard Annie turn over and felt the sheets pull away from him slightly as she sleepily tried to get more comfortable.

" _Id da Hulk in our house right now?"_

"No, the Hulk is not here."

" _Why id Hulk so mad?"_

"He probably didn't get any candy."

" _Is Hulk sweeping?"_

"Yes, I am sure Hulk is sleeping."

" _Does Hulk like ice cweam?"_

"Yes. He likes mint chocolate chip."

" _Do you think Hulk wants to meet my new fwiends at school?"_

"He might. He gets kind of lonely. Cause he's green. It's not easy being green."

He began to sleepily pull Sophie into their bed, knowing that she was likely to keep this going for awhile, or she'd leave and come back with follow-up questions. In his haze, he thought it would be best to just keep her here. Ruffles gingerly jumped onto the bed.

" _What is Hulk hab for bweakfast?"_

This time Annie answered, "Hulk pancakes."

He smirked at Annie's giggles.

" _Oooh Mama, can I hab Hulk pancakes?"_

"Yes, sweetie. In the morning."

" _Are dey gween?"_

"Of course they are."


	17. Intermediate Family Law

**Chapter 17: Intermediate Family Law**

Summary: Jeff juggles his roles

xxxx

A/N: Be sure to read the chapter before this one

xxxx

In the days following Halloween, Annie reached out to her father. Although he had invited her and Sophie out to visit on numerous occasions, Annie was clear this time she didn't wish to be the one to make the effort to fly across the country given her father's abandonment in her childhood. Although it took almost every bit of her energy, she held firm, stating for the first time that it would be significant and meaningful if he were the one to step back into the state of Colorado. At that point, however, she broke down in tears. It was then that Paul Edison agreed to be the parent and make the trip from Virginia. They decided he would come for Thanksgiving, and Annie requested he not bring Rebecca.

Annie shut her laptop as Jeff came into the bedroom and joined her on the bed. She leaned into his form and he wrapped his arm around her. After summarizing the conversation through muffled sobs, she wiped her face with the back of her sleeve and sat upright.

Jeff eyed her with concern. "Are you sure you're up to this?"

She shook her head and let out a low laugh.

"I will be."

X

X

X

They had about three weeks until Thanksgiving. Jeff still wasn't sure where they would actually be having the meal, and his stomach was in knots as he thought about the prospect of meeting Annie's father. He was glad they were going on their already planned ski trip the weekend before the holiday, as Greendale had their fall break the week of Thanksgiving. He had a feeling he and Annie would benefit from the alone time before gearing up for a visit from Annie's father. He certainly didn't have the highest opinion of the guy, but part of him knew that Annie needed to see if there was actually any hope she could have a better relationship with him. Sure, they had been talking for well over a year now, but Annie needed to see her father in person.

Jeff found himself absentmindedly scrunching up Count Frogula and snapped himself back to the present moment. He reminded himself he had been throwing some of Sophie's clothes in the washer and that he needed to get back to her. He had found the stuffed frog on the floor and had habitually picked it up, intent on returning it to her room.

Although he had gotten used to a certain amount of messiness with Sophie, he and Annie were both maybe a tad anal when it came to putting things back in their place. He had developed the habit as a young child himself, making sure to arrange his own toys and later his hair products where he felt they were secure.

He stepped over to Sophie's door and was about to enter when he heard her.

" _Der you go, sweetie."_

There was a pause.

" _I alweady wead you a stowy. Now you go nite nite."_

Another pause.

" _Yesss, sweetie. Nite nite."_

Jeff stifled his giggles as she added the finishing touch.

" _Und you can't go in my bed. You stay with Wuffles. Dis bed is fow YOU."_

He always wondered when hypocrisy started, but now he knew it was at age three. He decided to be polite and tapped on her door as he entered, spying her sitting on the floor next to her bed with Ruffles dozing in a ball at her side.

"I found Count Frogula. Does he have to go to bed too?"

Sophie lifted her head and smiled, motioning for her toy.

" _Yah. Id bedtime."_

Jeff walked over and sat down next to her, letting Ruffles stir and nuzzle into his leg. As he handed over the frog and pet the dog, he took a moment to regard the scene before him. Mr. Tickles was lying to Sophie's left, Hillary Rodham Kitten in the center, and Ruthie to the right. All of them were wrapped in blankets. Her baby doll was by her side, and he guessed it was the next to be put to 'bed.'

He watched as she proceeded to throw the stuffed frog down next to Nathan and then incongruently gently wrap him in a doll blanket. She did the same with the baby doll and then regarded her arrangement with pride.

He leaned his back against the side of her bed and stretched out his legs in front of him, his mind starting to spin back to Paul Edison. He was stirred from his thoughts at Sophie's insistence he take her bear.

"Um, okay."

He accepted it and noted her face light up as she motioned toward the other toys.

"Am I supposed to put him to bed?"

Her face scrunched and she barked, _"No, daddy! Make-a tawk. He pud dem to bed."_

His eyes widening in realization, Jeff cleared his throat and motioned with the bear toward the other toys. He affected a low growl.

" _Tawk-a bear!"_

"Grr. Grr. It's bedtime."

" _Grr Grr! Bedtime!"_

"Now I'm going to go to bed."

" _Wid mama!"_

He nearly lost it with laughter as she threw Ruthie at him. He caught the kangaroo and continued.

"Grr. Grr. That's right. We're going to bed. Nite nite."

" _Nite nite!"_

Jeff found himself startling as Sophie suddenly shifted gears and flung herself into his lap. He guessed she was tired but he figured that her nap was still way off and he didn't want her falling asleep right before lunch. He really need her to settle down later, as he had to study for his history midterm and Annie was with her Induction-Deduction diorama team at the library.

He managed to push Ruthie and the bear to the side and then lifted Sophie onto his lap, holding her against his chest. He glanced at his watch to see it was almost noon.

"How about lunch, munchkin?"

" _No."_

"Aren't you hungry?"

" _No. I sweepy."_

"You're tired? Maybe we should eat something and then you can take a nap?"

" _No! I not nap, Daddy!"_

He sighed as he lifted her and stood. He carried her off to the kitchen, Ruffles following, and at her protests when he attempted to put her into her booster seat, held her with one arm as he began to pull out ingredients for sandwiches. He glanced at her, beginning to be concerned as she lowered her head onto his shoulder and sucked her thumb.

"You know, Daddy doesn't need to go to the gym as often these days since you're getting so big. I'm getting a good workout on my right arm."

" _Yah. I big."_

He noted the lack of enthusiasm for one of her usual favorite subjects and then her outright leeriness at the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he placed in front of her as he held her on his lap at the table. His salad was to the left so that he could eat since for some reason she wouldn't let him put her down. He frowned as he watched her poke at the sandwich.

"Just have a bite. Otherwise you'll be hungry later."

" _No. I wan apple sauce."_

He sighed and initially resisted, but she wore him down and he carried her back to the kitchen to get a little carton of applesauce. They then sat back down and he handed her the purple plastic spoon. She frowned but then began to eat a few bites.

He relaxed as he munched on his salad, checking his phone to see if Annie was any closer to being done. He really needed her help in 'studying' for History.

He was vaguely aware of Sophie drinking from her sippy cup and then letting it fall onto the table, where it rolled off the edge and onto the floor. She then began to cry.

He sighed as he kissed her head and leaned over to grab the cup. Sophie's sobs started to turn to a whimper. He sat back upright and placed the cup back on the table. He then took a look at her, noticing the flushness in her cheeks, which he assumed was from the crying which appeared to come out of nowhere. Although he was used to Sophie's emotional outbursts by now, she had begun to settle down more lately and was becoming more predictable. The crying and the tiredness coupled with lack of enthusiasm for peanut butter made him concerned.

"Munchkin?"

All mysteries were resolved as Sophie proceeded to vomit all over his shirt and jeans.

X

X

X

Annie stroked Sophie's curls, furrowing her brow with concern as she watched their daughter sleep.

"She has a fever."

"Crap."

She turned toward Jeff. He was sitting on the other side of Sophie, who was smack in the middle of their bed with her bear in her arms. Ruffles was in her usual spot near Sophie's feet, her black eyes staring at Sophie in a way that unnerved Annie.

"We should take her to see Rich."

Jeff groaned, not initially excited at the prospect of seeing the cheery doctor on a Saturday. He quickly acquiesced, just as concerned as Annie that the hobpuker was seriously ill. She tended to get fevers but they quickly passed. It was the puking that had startled him the most. For all Sophie's toddler stickiness, she hardly ever threw up. He wrinkled up his nose at the memory of his poor clothes. He was hoping he'd get everything out in the wash.

But first things first. They needed to get Sophie to the clinic, just to be sure she was okay. Annie wasn't the type of a parent to let these things go. And frankly, remembering Sophie's other health scares, neither was Jeff.

X

X

X

After gaining reassurance from a blindingly white-toothed Rich that Sophie merely had a virus and would be okay in a few days, they stopped by the pharmacy to get some hydration fluid and acetaminophen and returned home.

They managed to attend to Sophie and get her in better spirits by Monday, but ran into a snag when Annie reminded Jeff that Greendale daycare didn't allow children in who had fevers in the past 48 hours.

Annie ended up staying home with Sophie on Monday, as Jeff had a quiz in Modern Bread Making. Jeff did his due diligence in actually taking notes for her while in History since he forgot to pack Annie's digital recorder. Well, he actually nosied up to Quendra to get the notes, but he figured with Annie's former judgment of their fellow student he wouldn't tell Annie about that part. Quendra was a pretty meticulous note taker, and he figured in the end Annie would rather have good notes than put up with what he was beginning to realize was likely mild dyslexia. But he pushed that thought out of his mind and explained the situation of Sophie being sick to Quendra, who immediately began cooing and enlisting the help of some other eager female students to get notes to Annie for all her classes that day. Jeff silently congratulated himself on his ingenuity, ignoring Britta's glare.

He tactfully declined Abed and Troy's offers to tend to Sophie, reminding them they needed to seriously approach their classes since they were both on the cusp of failing Underwater Basket Weaving for some reason.

He came home to find Annie flipping through her wedding binder as Sophie slept. They talked about some ideas, still not reaching agreement on location or officiant, but nevertheless trying not to stress about it at present. Jeff then presented her with the notes, which earned a tear and hug, and he felt her body relax at the realization that she didn't need to hunt down information.

Tuesday it was Jeff's turn to stay home with Sophie, given Annie had to present her diorama and hold office hours with the Dean. Jeff figured it wouldn't be too big of a deal, as he had a short day on Tuesdays anyway and would usually head over to the firm to do consulting work in the afternoons. He had been more determined than ever to take on work this year since his graduation was looming. He figured he could easily call in and explain he needed to work from home today. Although Sophie had perked up significantly and wasn't sleeping that much, he figured he could sneak some work in, or failing that do it all that night when Annie was home.

But he'd have to cancel that one meeting.

He frowned as he listened to Penelope explain over the phone, "Jeff, we can't cancel. Thompson is only in town today."

"No problem. I'll speaker in."

"You can't. He needs to see you."

"Oh for crying out loud."

"He's deaf."

"Video conference?" He glanced down at Sophie, who was busying herself smearing Playdoh over her face. He cradled his phone near his ear and then lifted her up and peeled off the blue goo, softly chastising her for misusing it. He made the tactical decision to ignore a flash of a blue-coated Ruffles out of the corner of his eye.

Penelope sighed. "I suppose we could try…wait are you talking to someone?"

Jeff instantly froze.

" _I do it myself, daddy. Und I put some on you."_

"Woof!"

"Jeff?"

"Okay, here's why I can't come in and video conferencing isn't going to work…"

x

x

x

Jeff silently cursed as he carried Sophie toward Hamish, Hamish & Hamlin. He knew this wasn't the optimal idea, but he was in kind of a bind. He would have felt like an ass in hauling Sophie around town if she were actually ill, but she seemed to be doing just fine by the afternoon. He marveled at children's abilities to heal so damn quickly.

He glanced down at a speck of blue dough on his coat and flicked it off, careful to balance his briefcase and Sophie's baby bag on his shoulder. Sophie seemed intrigued about where they were going and had been asking questions the whole ride over. She seemed very interested in seeing where her daddy 'worked.'

A kind-looking woman took pity on him and held the glass door open, saving him from having to negotiate the revolving door entry. He smiled his thanks and headed for the elevator. He gained a reprieve from explanations or seeming unprofessional, as the car was empty. They made their way to his floor, the trip complicated by the fact that Sophie insisted he put her down and then attempted to press all the buttons. He whisked her back into his arms, and she luckily stopped protesting when the doors opened, distracted by the lights from the hallway.

" _Oooh. Daddy work here?"_

"Yes. We're going to Daddy's office."

" _Oh yay!"_

He rounded the corner and came to the paralegal desk just outside his door. Penelope lifted her gaze from her computer monitor and at the sight of him doing his best to hold onto all his belongings and a chatting Sophie, broke into a wide smile.

"You brought her!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Hope that's okay."

"I told you it was. We'll figure it out."

" _Hi!"_

"Hi!"

Penelope rose and walked over to get a better look at Sophie. She tilted her head, letting her braids swish over her shoulder, and regarded her with fondness.

Jeff placed a kiss on the side of Sophie's head. "Munchkin, this is Penelope. She works with me."

" _Pen-ee-pee?"_

"You can call me Penny. It's so good to meet you, Sophie."

Jeff cringed a little as she proceeded to scream into his ear, _"PennEE!"_

Penelope laughed and started poking at Sophie's bear, which was clutched in her left hand.

"Who's this?" She turned toward Jeff and silently mouthed, "She's so cute."

" _My bah."_

"He's super fluffy. He looks like a nice bear."

Sophie smiled at this, and Jeff instantly began to feel more optimistic about the whole thing. After all, Penelope had nephews, and she and Sophie seemed to be getting along well. It probably wouldn't be such a big deal if she watched Sophie for an hour while he was in a stuffy meeting.

He turned from Sophie's beaming face to Penelope and said, "I brought all her stuff with me," he lifted his shoulder so she could see the bag, "plenty of snacks, her sippy cup, her blanket, and some crayons. Thanks so much for doing this."

Penelope nodded as she reached out to lightly pat the bear on its head, which elicited a squeal from Sophie.

"I told you if you brought her I'd be happy to watch her. Just make sure no one asks me to do anything else."

"Thanks. You're awesome."

Penelope managed to get Sophie's bag off Jeff's shoulder and placed it near her desk. She then left to get another chair.

Jeff leaned down and placed Sophie in Penelope's desk chair so that he could put down his suitcase and finally take off his winter coat. He then unzipped Sophie's outerwear and attempted to get her settled.

"You're going to play with Penny for little while, okay? Daddy needs to go to a boring meeting."

Sophie frowned. _"You go?"_

"Just for a little bit. I'll be back soon."

" _Okay."_

It was in these moments he was very much relieved Sophie was used to daycare and babysitters. Part of him still felt a little bad he was leaving her with a virtual stranger, even if Penelope wasn't a stranger to him. He hoped Sophie wouldn't be too upset.

"She's super nice. You'll have fun and I'll be back really soon."

Sophie nodded and clutched her bear a little tighter.

It was then that Penelope came back around the corner with a medium-sized chair. Jeff looked up from his hunched position in front of Sophie and was startled to see Penelope's panicked expression.

"What is it?"

"Alan and Mitchell say I need to be in the meeting."

"The what now? Why?" He raised his brows and waited for some serious explanation. He tried to silence the thoughts that his life was a big joke. It almost felt at times as if someone were writing a script with arbitrary obstacles he needed to over come. He made a mental note to shush his inner Abed.

Penelope sighed in frustration. "Because their paralegal is sick. Apparently no one else can flip through the files, push pens around a table, and run the PowerPoint." She cringed as she placed the chair near the desk. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to get out of it."

Jeff took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I could do all that."

She shook her head as she muffled a laugh. "You're supposed to be presenting the strategy to get Jackson to back off. You know the optics would be bad."

Jeff took a deep breath and stood. He reached into Sophie's bag and took out her coloring supplies and sippy cup as he attempted to think through his options. Knowing Alan and Mitchell, there was no getting Penelope out of her duties. He wasn't that familiar with the administrative assistants or other paralegals, and he didn't feel right about leaving Sophie with someone he didn't know.

Damn.

He looked at his watch and attempted to project an aura of authority.

"We have fifteen minutes. I'll stall and in the meantime call Annie. She's in a meeting herself soon, but I think the munchkin would be much better off in that meeting than this one."

Penelope appeared to bristle at his suggestion. She then sat down opposite Sophie and began to lie out the paper and crayons in front of her.

She muttered, "You're going to call your fiancé _at work_ and ask her to come over and get Sophie?"

"I don't see what other options we have."

She pursed her lips and looked up at him. Glancing to make sure Sophie was occupied, she then resumed her stare and whispered, "Are you mad? You can't ask a mother to do that. You can't prioritize your work over hers."

Jeff flinched internally but affected a sardonic demeanor. "If you understood exactly what her current work was you wouldn't say that."

She continued to bore her eyes into his. "You have to figure something else out."

He nodded, recognizing she was right. He was an ass. He and Annie would have to learn how to figure out this whole work-life-co-parenting balance thing, especially once they were both in their respective careers. He briefly wondered yet again how they would do this with two kids. Annie seemed to think adding another one soon wouldn't be such a big deal, but he panicked a little at the thought of two sick munchkins.

Two adorable munchkins?

God he has no idea what to do about that whole thing.

He returned his attention back to the present moment and groaned. "Fine. Ideas?"

"Angie's on the third floor. I can check to see if she's free."

"Which one's Angie?"

"Larry's assistant. She's nice and she's a mother. Plus she owes me a favor."

Jeff found himself almost agreeing but then stopped.

"Wait, wouldn't that be asking a mother to prioritize childcare over her work?"

"God." Penelope rolled her eyes and then gestured with her head toward Sophie as if to make her point as to the priorities of the situation.

He honestly didn't know what to do. He couldn't just back out of the meeting, given he'd lose out on a huge consulting fee. He'd have Jackson doing circles if Thompson listened (or watched) his pitch. But he couldn't leave his hobshrieker.

He sighed in resignation. "I'll have to bring her with me."

"You can't!"

"Well….?"

It was then that he was saved. Mark came zipping around the corner, latte in hand, with his headphones on. His eyes half-closed, he sang, "It's hard to look right at you _baby_ …But here's my number…So call me maybe!"

Sophie looked up from her work and smiled at the sight of Mark.

With a rush of adrenaline, Jeff marched over and yanked out Mark's left ear bud. Mark stepped back, almost dropping his latte, which Jeff made an effort to grab from him.

"I need a favor."

" _I not a baby!"_

X

X

X

"So that's how we'll do it. You're going to be very pleased."

Thompson watched his translator sign Jeff's last words and then nodded with a sense of satisfaction, rising to shake Jeff's hand. He then signed back to his interpreter.

"This is exactly what I wanted, Mr. Winger. I am very happy you'll be representing me."

Jeff exchanged looks with a sour-faced Alan who was sitting to Thompson's right.

Alan then jumped to his feet and explained in all his sliminess, "Well, actually, Jeff is merely our strategist. Mitchell here will be representing you in court."

After some awkward exchanges, the situation was clarified, and while Thompson seemed puzzled, he ended up shrugging and agreeing to go with Mitchell to grab a drink.

Alan watched them leave and then turned to Jeff with a sneer.

"See? You aren't even a real lawyer. Mitchell will kick ass."

Jeff merely smirked as he closed his briefcase.

"I don't care, Alan."

"Sure you don't. You can't practice law."

Jeff knew better than to react to Alan's attempts to bait him, but he was recognizing that in this moment he didn't really even care what Alan thought anymore. He knew he would practice law again, and even if for some reason that didn't work out, he was overall pretty happy. His day-to-day life was stressful sometimes, but he felt he was doing something important. Being or not being a lawyer wouldn't change that.

He merely said, "Not right now. But soon I will."

"And where are you going to practice anyway? You expect us to just hire you back?"

His eyes on his case and not wanting to give away his and Mark's plans to abandon the firm, Jeff replied, "Why wouldn't I expect it? I work here now for Christ sake."

Alan grinned at this and stepped over to him. Standing unnervingly close, he said, "Rumor has it Ted's not thrilled with you."

"That's nonsense and you know it."

Alan shrugged and stepped back. Picking up his own briefcase, he remarked, "So how's domestic life?"

"Not bad."

"I heard a rumor you were engaged."

"That's right."

Alan pursed his lips and turned to face him. "That's so stupid, Winger. Why would you even think about tying yourself down like that? Because you knocked some girl up? There's plenty of arrangements these days when you don't have to lock yourself in like that."

Penelope, unobtrusively gathering the files, tensed at his words.

Jeff glanced over at her and then lifted his briefcase and stood squarely in front of him. He couldn't believe he used to be friends with the man.

"I don't expect you to understand, but I want to marry her. I love her." He held his mouth firmly and inwardly resigned himself to the likelihood Alan would be making some ignorant and rude comments for about a minute before he could escape.

Alan started fake gagging. As Jeff ignored him and began to make his way toward the door, Alan stopped him and placed a hand on his arm. Jeff instinctively pushed it off but stopped and once again faced him.

Alan suddenly stopped his juvenile display and looked up at him. "How come you didn't tell me?"

Jeff raised a brow. "Are you serious? Your reaction just now demonstrates why I didn't tell you."

"We used to be friends."

"Alan."

Penelope was suddenly by Jeff's side. She asked nonchalantly, "Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

Alan persisted, "What, you got something better to do than talk to me? Let's grab a Scotch."

"I can't." Jeff jerked his head toward Penelope, who was now holding the conference room door open and looking extremely impatient.

Alan's eyes danced between them and then he smirked. He clapped his hands.

"Oh, I get it!" He leaned into Jeff and said in an almost whisper that was clearly audible from where Penelope stood, "So you and her, huh? Do the right thing and get to have a little piece on the side too? Nice."

Jeff used all of his energy not to shove him. He would have done, but he needed this job right now. He needed to keep his eye on the future.

Instead, he managed, "That is not true. Apologize to Penelope."

"Oh, umm..sorry, babe."

Jeff followed Penelope out, but Alan trailed them down the hall. Jeff made his best efforts to walk next to Penelope and engage her in chitchat, but Alan kept clearing his throat and getting close. They took the elevator and Alan proceeded to shove his foot into the closing door and then ride all the way to their floor.

"Alan, I told you I have something important to attend to."

"You work for me."

"No, I work for Ted."

"I'm a partner."

"Ted's the head of the firm."

"So you're doing something for Ted? Like a secret project?"

Jeff rolled his eyes and proceeded to silently watch the floor indicator.

"So it is a secret project?"

"Alan, please stop."

The doors opened and they walked through, Alan again basking them with his annoying and offensive presence. Jeff had been hoping he'd give up by now, but as he persisted Jeff realized that things were about to get even more awkward.

They rounded the corner and came to the sight of Mark on all fours in front of the desk, Sophie to his side and jumping up and down from crouched knees. There were crayons and pieces of paper littering the floor, along with the bear, blanket, zippy cup, and various snack bags, all opened.

" _Wibbut! Wibbut!"_

"That's good. But I don't know how to do that." Mark let out an exasperated sigh and threw his head down so that it was hanging between his arms.

" _You do id! Be a fwog!"_

Alan's eyes bugged out, and Jeff did his best to ignore it.

At Penelope's laughter, Mark looked up and turned a shade of pink Jeff hadn't ever seen on his face before.

"Oh, hey glad you guys are back. I don't know how to be a frog."

At the sight of Jeff, Sophie hopped to her feet and squealed, _"Daddy! I a fwog!"_

She ran toward him and he bent down to scoop her up into his arms. He then stood and placed a kiss on her cheek. She giggled and nuzzled her head into his neck.

"I missed you."

" _Yah."_

"Did Mark behave himself?"

" _He okay."_ She lifted her head and looked at him directly as she added, _"He not a fwog. Bud he be a good fwog."_

"I bet if he worked really hard, he'd be an excellent frog."

Realizing he was still on his hands and knees, Mark smiled sheepishly as he managed to get back to his feet. He said, "Hey, I haven't had a lot of practice."

Jeff turned toward him as Sophie began to pick at his tie. "Did everything go okay?"

Mark reached over and began to put his suit jacket back on as he answered, "I think so. She's a good kid."

Sophie's ears perked up at this and Jeff could have sworn she looked over at Mark with appreciation.

"Thanks, Cash."

"Eh, it was fun."

At this, Alan finally loudly cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Are you serious, Winger? You brought your kid to work? That's a big no-no." He proceeded to squint at Sophie as if he couldn't quite comprehend her presence.

Jeff gave Sophie another kiss and then asked her to stay with Penelope. He motioned for Alan and Mark to follow him, and they went into his office and shut the door. Jeff leaned against the back of it and stuffed his hands in his pockets while studying the ceiling.

"Alan, you can't say stuff like that in front of my child."

Appearing to still be dumbfounded by the situation, Alan shirked back slightly and plopped down in client a chair opposite Mark.

"Come on, she doesn't understand me. She looks like a baby. How old is she anyway?"

"She's three." Jeff sighed as he walked over and sat on the edge of his desk, a power move he knew Alan would recognize. He added, "And she does understand you."

Alan shrugged. "Three, huh?" He then furrowed his brow. "Wait, so you like had a kid when you worked here? When we used to hang out?"

Jeff exchanged looks with Mark and then sighed. "That's not the point. To address your concern, yes, I am aware I shouldn't bring her here, and this is the first time I have. But we had a childcare issue today and we couldn't cancel the meeting, so I had no choice. It will not happen again."

Alan seemed to ponder this for a moment and then muttered, "I can't believe you didn't tell me you had a kid. We used to go to happy hour!"

Jeff gave Mark another look which earned a shrug, and then turned his attentions back on Alan. "If you must know, she's my fiancé's child, but I'm in the process of adopting her. I've been her father for the past two years. So no, I didn't keep this from you when we were 'friends.' Are you happy now?"

Alan cocked his head as he began tapping the arm of the chair. Jeff wondered if there was any possible way he could speed up his departure.

"Christ, Winger. Marriage and _adoption_."

"Yeah, well."

"You have changed. Fuck."

Jeff tried to focus on his breath as he waited for Alan to process this information and get on with his day. Mark appeared to feel similarly as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

Luckily for them both, Alan seemed to be somewhat satisfied with the fact that his old friend Jeff Winger wasn't deceiving him. He jumped to his feet and then slapped Jeff on the shoulder.

He managed awkwardly, "Well, I guess congratulations?"

"Yes, that would be the appropriate thing to say, Alan."

"Yeah, well, weird, right?"

"No, it's not weird to me."

Alan let out a low whistle and made his way to the door. He opened it and turned back to cast one last look at Jeff as he remarked, "You know, I was thinking I probably should get married myself. Ted...you know what, yada yada, nevermind." He then tensed and smiled awkwardly before leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Jeff cocked his brow and looked over at Mark. "God help the woman he'd marry. That was odd."

Jeff noticed Mark appeared unfazed by Alan's words. He walked over and sat down in the chair Alan had occupied and faced his friend, waiting for some explanation.

Mark smiled tightly. "He's such an ass. He probably won't find someone to marry him, so I don't think we need to warn the entire city."

"What did he mean by Ted?"

"Oh that?" Mark stiffened slightly as he added, "Ted heard you're engaged. He wants to take you and Annie out for dinner after you graduate, with him and his wife. It's driving Alan insane."

Jeff furrowed his brow. "I didn't tell Ted."

"But he heard. There's a grapevine. You probably should tell him officially, you know."

"Why dinner?"

"I think he has big plans for you."

Jeff stared at his friend, noticing he seemed to be uncomfortable. He waited for him to continue.

"Ted thinks with your good looks and a wedding band on your finger that you'll be a huge draw for clients. The women will feel safe flirting with you, and the men won't feel threatened with you and their wives. He especially likes the idea of you having a kid and will want you to highlight that fact to clients. He's scoped out your desk already and saw the framed picture you have of Sophie."

Jeff clenched his jaw and found himself involuntarily making a fist which he punched lightly into the side of the chair. Mark noticed and continued, "I know it sounds really calculated, and it is. But Ted is a big picture thinker. He knows Alan turns some clients off, the ones that care about family values. He's better with the ones who just need to get out of a jam. I think Ted's going to try to groom you to fill a certain niche here. I wouldn't be surprised, even with your suspension, he offers to make you partner within the next year."

Mark waited for Jeff to process the information and seeing the signs Jeff was about to speak, offered, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I guess I was a little threatened. We've been planning to start our own firm. But I guess you should know so you can make an informed decision."

Jeff stared off toward his desk at the back of the picture frame. He pondered Mark's words and knew that despite what appeal Ted's offer might have had for him in the past, there was no way he could continue working for a firm that tolerated the likes of Alan. The man was a serious creep. It was like a young version of Pierce.

Jeff never wanted to be Pierce.

He turned his attentions back to Mark with a small smile. "No worries. I have no interest in staying here with Alan. We're still on."

Mark visibly relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes. "Thank god."

"How did you know about Ted's plans anyway?"

Mark opened his eyes and replied, "Mitchell. I got him drunk last week and he spilled it. Alan's' been a raving lunatic. More than usual."

Jeff grinned and leaned back, crossing his foot over his knee. "Jackass."

"Right."

Jeff decided it best to switch topics. He had enough of Alan Connor for one day.

"Thanks for watching Sophie again. She seems to like you."

"Well, I only see her here and there, but she's quite the kid. Makes me think Jenny's right."

"Hm?"

Mark reddened once again. He smirked and then said, "If all goes well, we're talking about getting engaged within the next year. And she wants kids."

"And Sophie didn't turn you off of that?"

"Are you kidding? She's adorable."

"She usually is. But be prepared for sleepless nights and the occasional puke."

They chuckled for a few moments before Mark affected a serious expression and leaned forward. "Hey Tango, we need to touch base about the adoption." 

Jeff raised a brow and waited.

"Adam's finished his counseling."

Jeff felt something shift within his chest. He lowered his voice and remarked, "That seems really quick to rescind your rights to your kid."

Mark shrugged as he continued to lean forward, his arms resting on his knees. "It's not in this case. The counseling's just to make sure he's not being coerced. Everyone involved knows the situation, and how it makes sense for you to step in here."

Jeff glanced back at the picture on his desk. "Right. Next?"

"The hearing, but we can't schedule that until he can actually rescind the rights, which is dependant on the judge's discretion."

"What would affect their discretion?"

Mark grimaced. "As much as it pains me to say this, I don't think the judge is going to agree to this right now."

Jeff started, his eyes going wide. He couldn't for the life of him figure out where he had screwed up. They had been following all advice, and Mark was an expert in these matters. He cast a panicked look at his friend.

Mark quickly explained, "The judge will agree, Jeff. Just not now. In situations like this, the state is concerned they will have to assume responsibility for the child, given Annie's income. The judge will be much more favorably disposed toward this whole thing once you two are married. Then we simply have the social worker visit and then you do a stepparent adoption."

Jeff gulped down what little saliva he could as he thought over Mark's words. He then managed, "So the state doesn't want Sophie legally fatherless, even if it's temporary?"

"You got it."

"Could I adopt her before the wedding?"

"That will be even more complicated. Plus frankly, Tango, it doesn't make a lick of sense. You guys might as well just elope and I can push this adoption through."

Jeff returned his gaze to Mark, noticing that he was regarding him in all seriousness.

He tilted his head and Mark nodded.


	18. Intermediate Home Economics

**Chapter 18: Intermediate Home Economics**

Summary: Annie and Jeff have an evening in

A/N: Apologies for the delay! I think this has been the longest gap in between chapters, and I hope you all knew I'd be back.

xxxxx

Jeff pushed open the apartment door and ushered Sophie inside before closing the door behind them.

"We're home!"

Annie's chipper voice greeted them from the kitchen.

"Hi! Why is Ruffles blue?"

Jeff smirked down at Sophie, whose eyes widened in all affected innocence as she made a circle with her mouth.

He shouted, "There was a Playdoh incident."

"Got it!"

Jeff furrowed his brow at the realization that Ruffles hadn't trotted down the hallway to greet them yet but then shrugged and decided to focus on getting settled. He took a deep breath and placed his briefcase and Sophie's bag on the hallway bench and quickly removed his coat and draped it over the case. He turned his attentions to Sophie and crouched down to help her take off her winter coat and hat, making sure to give her curls a little fluff before leveling his eyes with hers and whispering.

"You did really well today at Daddy's work. Thanks for coming with me."

She instantly smiled and then proceeded to turn her attentions to her bag, deftly pulling out her bear and giving it a kiss.

" _You do good, Bah. Dank you bor come wid me."_

He smiled slightly as he watched her, his thoughts still swirling from his conversation with Mark. He knew he needed to tell Annie what they had discussed, but he was feeling his stomach flutter as he anticipated her reaction. She had her heart set on a fancy wedding, but he had been giving Mark's words a great deal of thought on the way home, and it made so much sense. If he had to be honest, he hadn't been that thrilled with the idea of them getting married in June anyway. Ever since he had gotten up the nerve to propose, he had practically considered them married already. There was no reason to wait.

He still didn't even know if he really believed in marriage, and if he dug deep down in himself, he'd have to admit that if Sophie weren't in the picture, he'd likely not be that eager to jump into forever-after marital bliss. He and Annie had a good thing going, and he knew _I-dos_ wouldn't magically make them bonded together forever. If it weren't for Sophie, he'd likely be perfectly content with the way things were with Annie. He loved her and she loved him, and they were happy. No need to make promises for the future, given the future was unknowable.

Plus part of him, in the darkness of night, still woke up in a panic that Annie would one day realize he was too old for her and leave him. Sure, things were fine now, but in another ten, twenty years, she'd still be young and gorgeous and he'd probably begin aging more rapidly. There was always a chance that things just wouldn't work out, that she'd realize she'd outgrown him.

The thought of it made him nauseous.

As he helped Sophie take off her little shoes, he couldn't help but be transfixed by her adorableness. In this timeline - shut up Abed - there was a Sophie. There was absolutely a reason to get married. Even if things didn't work out with him and Annie in the long-term, he'd still be Sophie's father, and he'd make sure he took care of her. That was more than enough reason to get married and make promises. They'd be a family forever, even if the marriage fell apart.

He clenched his jaw at that thought and took another deep breath. He was momentarily puzzled that his hands were trembling but then shook off the realization as he plopped Sophie's shoes under the bench.

"There you go, munchkin."

" _Dank you."_

She jumped to her feet, and he then heard the jingle. Arching a brow, he scooped her up.

"Empty your pockets."

" _No._ "

He squinted at her and attempted to ascertain if she was really going to be this obstinate. He didn't really need this right now, but at the thought of Annie leaving him one day lurched into his brain, he found himself readily engaging with what part of him knew could end up being an unfortunate power struggle.

"I said empty your pockets."

" _I not, Daddy. No in pockets."_

"There's something in there. I heard it. Do you have coins?"

" _No. No pockets."_

"You know, if you don't tell me what's in your pockets, then I'm going to have to flip you upside down, right?"

He grinned as her face lit up and she began motioning with her hands over her head. He gave a ready-set command and then flipped her over, carrying her down the hall as she giggled and shrieked. He rounded the corner and came face to face with Annie, who was standing near the kitchen counter with one hand on her hips and wide eyes.

"Jeff!"

He smiled sheepishly. "She has something in her pockets and wouldn't give them to me."

" _Yah, Mamma! Pockets! I hab moneeee."_

With that confession, about ten coins fell out and landed all over the floor. Annie rolled her eyes and knelt down to scoop them up.

She murmured, "Sophie, I told you to give us anything you put in your pockets. If we put your clothes through the washing machine with stuff in them like coins, then…" She let out a sigh and then added, "Nevermind. Just please tell us when you have coins in your pockets. Or anything else."

Jeff watched her gather the coins, and he made one last careful shake before he righted Sophie, gave her a big kiss on her cheek, and placed her on the floor.

He eyed the copper bits in Annie's hands and remarked, "Ahh. Pennies."

Sophie bounced up and down with excitement. _"Yah! Penieeees. Like Peneeeeee!"_

He chuckled and clapped his hands. "Right, you got along really well with Penny. Did she give those to you?"

" _Yah! Mama, can I keep dem?"_

Annie smiled at her daughter and scooted over to her to give her a hug. "Yes, sweetie. We'll put them in your piggy bank." She released her and stood to face Jeff, her expression becoming noticeably more hesitant and serious.

"There's something I should tell you."

" _Mama, Mawk not a fwog. He no good at id."_

"Mark?"

"Mark watched her today while I was in the meeting."

"Oh, right. Sweetie, you had a good time with Mark?"

In a complete non-sequitur, Sophie asked, _"Where Wuffles?"_

Annie grinned down at her. "She got really messy, I think from you two playing earlier. She was all blue. She's taking a bath."

Sophie smiled in amazement at this information. Jeff cocked his head at Annie until she looked at him.

"Ruffles can't take a bath by herself."

Annie smiled apologetically. "That's what I was going to tell you. Anthony's in the bathroom with Ruffles."

Jeff found himself nodding in comprehension, unsure now of when he was going to be able to talk to Annie about them pushing up the wedding. He didn't really want to have that conversation with her weird brother present. He silently hoped the kid wouldn't stay too long.

He managed with affected nonchalance, "He's here for dinner?"

"Yes, he just stopped by earlier and seemed really sad, so I told him it was okay. I hope you don't mind?" She looked up at him and widened her eyes.

"No, of course not. He's your brother."

Sophie listened to them converse and then butted in, _"Uncle Antony here?"_

"Yes, sweetie. He's with Ruffles. Why don't you go help him?"

Sophie squealed and shoved her bear at Jeff and then turned and ran down the hallway toward the bathroom. They watched her go and laughed. Jeff walked over to Annie and, after placing the bear on the counter, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

He gave her a kiss on the side of her head and said, "Today was rough."

She lifted her head and smiled softly up at him. "She seems better."

They both ignored the wuffs, splashes, and squeals emanating from down the hall.

He cracked a slight smile. "Oh, she is. It's just I had that meeting with Alan and it made my skin crawl. I think I may have accidentally put the idea in his head that he needs to find a wife. I pity the single women of this town."

She gasped, "You're not serious."

"I am. But…speaking of _wife_ , you're going to be mine soon, so I was wondering if we could finalize those arrangements."

A manic gleam instantly came over her eyes. "You want to _wedding binder_ tonight?" Her expression faltered as she stole a glance down the hallway. She added, "Darnnit. I think Anthony might leave late or not at all." She jerked her head in the direction of the far wall.

Jeff's eyes followed and then spied Anthony's duffel bag alongside his school backpack. He groaned.

"Did he at least ask?"

Her tone was almost pleading. "No, but he did allude to the fact that mom's been really hard on him lately."

"Christ, Annie. I need to have some alone time with you. We need to talk about something."

Her eyes suddenly sharpened. "Talk about what?"

He let out a long sigh as he regarded her. Although not optimal timing, he figured it was either now or possibly ten days from now. He said, "I had a chat with Mark. He filled me in on the adoption timeline."

"Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly. But something came up that we need to consider."

"Just tell me, Jeff."

He let out another breath and closed his eyes. At the tug of his lapel, he opened them and came face to face with a concerned looking Annie.

She whispered, "You're making me nervous."

He gulped, not quite sure why he was having such a hard time. It wasn't bad news, but part of him still didn't want to take Annie's wedding away from her. She had been through so much already, and he had really wanted to give her a special day.

He pulled her in a little closer and affected an even tone, "Mark says the court will be unlikely to let me adopt Sophie before we're married."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Adam finished his counseling. Mark thinks we can get a court date by January."

Her eyes widened. "That soon?"

He nodded down at her. "It's actually a simple procedure at this point. Or it would be, if we were married."

She stepped back, and he let his arms drop. Unsure of how to read her reaction, he attempted to quell his anxious thoughts and removed his suit jacket, placing it carefully on the back of a chair in the dining area. He finally looked up and saw her watching him with a curious expression.

He smiled shyly at her and then shrugged. Her expression changed, as she seemed consider the situation. She returned his hesitant smile and waltzed over to him.

She rose onto her toes and placed a kiss near his ear and whispered, "We should elope."

As she rolled back down to a flat-footed position, he grinned down at her in astonishment.

"Agreed."

With a bat of her lashes she said, "You sound shocked."

"I didn't know if you'd want to."

"Why wouldn't I? It wouldn't make any sense not to."

He felt his shoulders relax completely. He bent down and kissed her, feeling her melt into it. He hadn't realized until that moment how much he needed the reassurance, and his whole body hummed as the kiss deepened. He felt her hands wrap around his neck and noticed her efforts to tilt her head to the side and again rise onto the balls of her feet so that they could maintain their smooch. He bent even lower and plopped down into the chair, pulling her onto his lap. She briefly stopped and giggled before returning to the kiss.

Finally they pulled apart for some air, foreheads pressed against each other and grinning.

"Why did you think I wouldn't want to elope?"

"Because you wanted a big wedding."

She playfully nuzzled her nose into his before pulling back and looking into his eyes. "I want a party, dummy. We can have a party anytime."

"I thought you wanted to do the whole dress thing."

She shrugged and let out a soft sigh. "I can still do the dress thing. Britta and Shirley helped me find one the other day. It's in a garment bag in the bedroom closet."

He smirked at her admission, and she lightly swatted his chest.

Through a laugh, he said, "Sooo….will you elope with me, Annie Edison?"

"Absolutely."

"Excellent."

They were about to go for another kiss when they heard more wuffs. They made the decision to table the discussion for the time being and made their way toward the bathroom to make sure Anthony wasn't overwhelmed. Upon reaching the door, the stopped and listened.

" _Wuffles all cean now?"_

"Yeah, she's good, but we have to make sure she stays on the towel so we can dry her off. Your mom and dad won't like it if she runs around the place all wet."

" _I wun all wet. Mama say nooo! Daddy say id funny."_

"Really? Still, you're not a wet dog."

" _I wanna be a doggie."_

"Me too. Life would be easier. And more fun."

" _We can be doggies! Wuff wuff!"_

Anthony laughed at this exclamation and said, "Yeah, I'll be a dog with you in a minute, but I gotta lift Ruffles out of the tub. Here we go."

There was a wuff followed by the sounds of Ruffles shaking off, followed by shrieks of delight and/or disgust from Sophie.

Annie exchanged amused looks with Jeff as she stepped into the doorway and declared, "You can let her go!"

Ruffles tore out of the room.

X

X

X

As they cleaned up from dinner, Annie stole nervous glances with Jeff. The meal had gone fairly smoothly, with Anthony mostly mumbling some things about school before focusing his attentions on a delighted Sophie. But they still hadn't talked to him about him potentially staying overnight or Thanksgiving. Jeff knew Annie was particularly nervous about telling him that their father would be visiting and likely hadn't fully thought out how she would share that information.

Annie went to put Sophie to bed, and Anthony volunteered to assist. Annie slipped out as Anthony finished up the bedtime story. She cozied up to Jeff on the couch and leaned her head against his side and relaxed as he began to pet her hair.

"Is he okay?"

"I think so. It's weird he hasn't asked much about us getting married."

"He had to have suspected it would happen eventually."

"I actually think he thought we'd break up."

"Right. He wanted to be your roomie."

"Jeff."

He shrugged and pulled her in closer before reaching over and turning on the television to a random channel.

At her brow arch, he explained in a whisper, "So he doesn't feel awkward when he comes back in here."

She smiled and nodded.

Within a few minutes, Anthony joined them, sitting down in the chair and plopping his feet up on the footrest. After a minute of awkward channel surfing, Jeff and Anthony decided on a Monty Python rerun on BBC. Annie glanced between them and smiled.

Anthony noticed her expression. "What?"

"I'm just glad you two are getting along."

Anthony shrugged. "You said we were like brothers-in-something now."

"Brothers-in- _law_ , Anthony. Well soon, anyway."

"That's what I meant. Jeff and are cool cool cool. Right, Jeff?"

Jeff exchanged bemused glances with Annie and then nodded. "Yup. Cool cool cool."

Annie's grin grew as she shoved her legs underneath her and leaned against the arm of the couch, addressing her brother.

"I'm glad."

She watched as Anthony bit his lip and began to tap the side of the chair. Recognizing his nervous habit, she added, "I'm so happy you're here. I missed you so much."

Anthony visibly tensed and if Annie was not mistaken, flushed. Before she could wonder what was going on, he blurted with his eyes still on the television, "Can I like stay over?"

Annie took in a breath and quickly checked with Jeff, who was looking more than a little concerned. To her relief, he mouthed, _"yeah I guess."_

He then added, _"If you think …"_ and then shrugged.

She turned back to her brother and said, "Anthony."

"Yeah?"

"Look at me, please."

Anthony turned toward her with a hesitation, his eyes darting about.

She let out a sigh. "Is everything okay?"

"Can I stay over?"

"Did mom do something?"

"When _doesn't_ she, Annie?"

"What was it this time?"

"She says I can't go to Natalie's house. Because she's a girl."

Annie nodded in sympathy but exchanged another worried look with Jeff. This time, Jeff merely shook his head. She turned back toward Anthony.

"Did you want to see Natalie tonight?"

"It's not about that. I want her to stop telling me what to do."

"And you want to stay here because…"

"Can I live with you guys?"

Jeff involuntarily made a fist with his left hand and pressed it into the side of a pillow. He pursed his lips and stilled, deciding to let Annie continue to handle the situation.

Annie let out a long and wearied sigh.

"Please, Annie?"

"No, you can't live with us."

"Why not?"

"Because we don't have enough room."

"I could sleep on the couch. And I don't need a lot of my things. I could shove most of it under there." He leaned down and gestured under the furniture. He then added, "But I suppose I should find a place to store my drums. Do you have a storage unit?"

Unable to hold it in, Jeff let out a groan and leaned forward, his hands clasped together in front of him.

Ignoring Annie's hand on his forearm, he said, "Anthony, while we very much appreciate your visits, we are not in the position to take you in. This is our living room, not your bedroom, and besides you have a home with a pretty nice room from what I've seen."

"Mom's a bitch."

Jeff was conscious of Annie's stiffening posture.

He said, "I know your mother can be difficult and living at home when you're in high school can be tough because moms are supposed to tell you what to do. It's called being a mom. But things with your mom will get better."

"Is that true, Annie? You and mom are all squared away now?"

Annie smiled tightly. "We're better."

"Yeah. Because you don't live with her anymore."

Annie sighed once again. "Anthony, I'll talk to mom, okay? And maybe Jeff can help, too. He and mom get along."

Jeff ran his and over his face, conscious of the fact he had shaved that morning in preparation for his meeting. He'd give anything for a little bit of stubble right now.

"I'm happy to talk to your mom. But I can't promise she won't stop telling you what to do. But I'll talk to her about this Natalie situation if you want."

Anthony peered over his glasses at Jeff and seemed to take a few moments to think. Finally he said, "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

"So maybe you should tell me what's up with Natalie."

Anthony's face reddened and he leaned back in his chair and turned his attentions back on the television.

"Is that a no?" 

"Later."

"Oookay."

Jeff exchanged bewildered looks with Annie. He then leaned into her and whispered, "Maybe you should talk to him about Thanksgiving."

"Now?"

"Get it over with."

Annie nodded and picked up the remote, turning off the television.

"We need to talk about Thanksgiving."

X

X

Later in the evening, Annie scooted up next to Jeff in bed and closed her eyes.

"Thank you for making me tell him."

"He didn't take it too badly."

"You know how he is. It's impossible to really know how he's taking something in the moment. He's so used to suppressing himself."

Jeff looked down at her with concern, realizing how much damage had been inflicted on Annie and her brother. He didn't know who was to blame more, Rachel or Paul, but he supposed it didn't even matter at this point. There was a lot of scarring, and the prospect of an awkward Thanksgiving was probably the best he could hope for.

Anthony had taken the news somberly, barely saying much at first. He had then asked some questions about if they would tell their mother (Annie said she would), and finally with a great deal of hesitancy had asked if he could attend.

Annie had been surprised at this, in her mind clear she had been inviting him all along. Jeff watched as Annie's heart likely cracked and she had begun to address her brother with more tenderness and care. She then explicitly stated he was invited and that their father had said he wanted to see him. At this news, Anthony turned a slight shade of pink and wiped something from his eye before agreeing and then abruptly picking up the remote control for the television.

Jeff and Annie had merely sat there and allowed him to have some space. After Monty Python was over, Annie made up the couch and wished her brother goodnight. Jeff had seen her attempt to give Anthony a kiss on the cheek, which he had rebuffed with a groan before turning over and pretending to go instantly to sleep.

Jeff looked down at Annie once again as he pet her hair.

He whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I can't wait to marry you."

"Let's figure everything out tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

She snuggled in a little bit more, and he scooted down some and turned his body inward. He felt her hum against his chest.

"And Jeff?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk about Quendra."

"There's nothing to talk about. Jesus, Annie. I'm committing to you for life, you know."

"I didn't mean that. I know you wouldn't cheat on me."

"That's right. Never."

"I meant you not telling me Quendra was the one who organized the note taking for me yesterday. That was really sweet of her. She asked me today how Sophie was doing and seemed really concerned."

"Sorry, I didn't want you to get jealous."

She lifted her head and met his gaze. "I'm over that little stunt you pulled with Quendra last year. And I suppose I'm just as guilty for what I tried to do with Rich."

"I suppose that is true." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I think we can both forgive each other for being stupid."

"Um hmmm."

They snuggled down for the night and before they drifted off to sleep, Annie whispered once again, "I love you."

xxxxx

A/N: The plot will move along now! There is a convention of space and time after all!


	19. Family Planning

**Chapter 19: Family Planning**

Summary: Jeff and Annie make active preparations

After a hectic couple weeks at Greendale, fall break didn't come soon enough. Annie was delighted with the plans she and Jeff had conjured, and focusing on the details kept her appropriately busy. She liked to be busy, especially when she was awaiting her father's visit, which would be on Thanksgiving, barely a few days after their skiing weekend.

Whenever her mind wandered to the subject, she told herself to suck it up and that whatever would happen would happen; she couldn't change anything by worrying about it.

She then diverted her attention to making her packing list:

2 pairs of sensible ballet flats

1 pair of ski boots

2 purple pens (Jeffy)

undergarments

sexy undergarments

white lingerie for nighttime

flannel pajamas for sleeping and cuddling with Sophie

2 skirts and 2 sweaters

ski suit and goggles

makeup bag and hairbrush

Sophie's bag (clothes/boots/snowpants, toys, snacks, sippy cup, special pillow and blanket)

ask hotel for cot for Sophie?

wedding dress

Jeff's wedding band

marriage license

witness?

officiant?

She grinned as her eyes skimmed down the various items, a sense of accomplishment filling up the space where her anxiety kept creeping in. They hadn't told anyone their plans, concerned that many of their friends and family might feel hurt at being excluded; they figured if they informed everyone after the fact then they might stand a chance at being forgiven. Jeff had been adamant that he didn't want any unnecessary guilt trips going into the wedding. Annie did her best to keep from spilling the news to Britta and Shirley, and perhaps most surprisingly, to Professor Hickey.

She had found herself once again in his office without an overt agenda, prattling on about forensics. She had the feeling that he was indulging her, a wry smirk on his face as he had asked about how things were going with Jeff. She knew she had blushed and changed the subject, and then deftly changed course again when he had asked her about her Thanksgiving plans. At her maneuver, he made it clear that he hadn't meant to invite himself over to Dorie's.

"We're not going to Dorie's this year, at least not until the weekend after. My father's coming in for a visit," she had explained, doing her best to maintain a chipper voice.

Hickey's eyes went relatively wide, which was barely noticeable to an outside observer, but Annie had seen it. She silently admonished herself yet again for allowing him to fluster her as she felt her cheeks become hot.

He cleared his throat before asking, "Your estranged dad?"

"Yes. He and I Skype, but I haven't see him in almost ten years."

"You're brave."

"I have to be."

"Why?"

"Because he's my dad. I owe it to myself, and my brother, and my daughter to see if it's a relationship worth saving."

It had taken all her efforts at that point to hold back her tears, but under the intense gaze of her mentor, she lost it. She began to sob, frantically wiping at her eyes, the tears flowing freely down her face.

Clearly uncomfortable, Hickey glanced at his lower desk drawer. He mumbled, "If you weren't a student I'd offer you a sip from Ian's stash. He's on the wagon again so he has me keep it."

She sniffed and figured what the heck. She murmured, "I used to have a drug problem."

She caught the flash of fear in his eyes and then braced herself as he slapped his hand on the unopened drawer and shoved over a box of tissues. He then hesitated before opening up the drawer, taking out a small brown bottle, and pouring the whole thing out over an unfortunate cactus on a side table.

It occurred to her that if Jeff were there, he'd probably have a wisecrack about Hickey having a cactus as an office plant. She inadvertently chuckled a little at the thought.

Hickey sputtered, "I didn't know or I wouldn't have even joked about it. Why are you laughing?"

She shook her head and stopped, taking a deep breath before she explained, "Nothing. And I didn't mean to freak you out. I wasn't an alcoholic, but I still don't like to dampen my emotions with substances, so I only drink when I'm in a good mood already. But I just feel I need to be honest about it and tell people, even if you were just joking."

He cocked his head and stared at her for a moment before nodding solemnly and letting out a sigh. "That's very wise, Miss…Annie. But I probably shouldn't have even jokingly offered one of my students a drink."

He pursed his lips and lightly tapped a closed fist on the desk in self-admonishment.

She felt sorry for him in the moment, knowing she probably unnecessarily divulged more than she needed to. But for some reason, she now felt relieved that he knew. She had always wondered how much Dorie had told him about her past, and she found her heart warming at the thought that Dorie had kept her confidence. But she was realizing she was completely fine if Hickey knew.

She needed him to know.

She managed, "I'm not a student of yours anymore, remember?"

"No, but you're still a student here." His eyes shifted back and forth to the cracked door. "Craig could waltz in at any moment and I don't think he'd be that pleased if he had seen this bottle. At minimum, he'd make me join him for happy hour and say easy peasy lemon sourface something or other."

She giggled at this, amused that he was so fixated on a bottle that he hadn't even brought out until after she had informed him she was an addict. It occurred to her he was doing his best to protect her, and again she felt warmth spread throughout her chest. She noted she must have rattled him, but he appeared to relax more as he shoved the now empty bottle into the trashcan by his desk.

"Thanks for listening. I'm a mess."

"No you're not, kid. You're gonna be all right."

Somehow those simple words really did make her feel better.

X

X

Annie stirred from the memory of that meeting, taking a moment to look back over her list to see if she was missing anything. Part of her felt a pang of guilt that Dorie wouldn't be there, but she trusted Jeff when he said he thought his mother would understand. Complicating things was her realization that she didn't want her own mother present, or frankly her brother. Anthony had been more than a little dramatic lately, and although in theory she would want him there, she knew he'd likely be sulking in some way or distract her from a very special day in her life. She even wondered if he'd really want to be present.

Her mind wandered again to another recent incident, when she and Jeff had attempted to talk with her mother about her relationship with Anthony. Jeff first had a one-on-one with her brother in order to gather the facts from Anthony's perspective, and then he had come to her with a weariness that surprised her.

Jeff cleared his throat and then said, "He likes Natalie. They've kissed."

Annie flushed and stammered, "But he's only…"

-"Seventeen."

She met Jeff's intense gaze and felt foolish. Of course, she had been seventeen when she had taken up with Adam, and she was sixteen when she had lost her virginity. Anthony was certainly old enough to be kissing girls.

She startled with a disturbing thought.

"Are they…?"

Jeff sighed as he ran his hand over his newly formed scruff. He looked pretty cute.

He asked and answered for clarification, "Having sex? No."

"I meant dating!" She stared in almost horror at him, her eyes growing wide.

He smirked in his annoyingly sexy way and made a tsk-ing sound that always riled her.

"Sure you did. And _dating_? I guess." He shrugged. "He says they've gone to the movies a few times, and he likes to go to her house after school to do _homework_ ," Jeff made finger quotes on the last word before adding, "but he's been telling your mom he's at band practice."

She bit her lip in a combination of frustration and worry, thinking back over all the times she had lied to her mother about where she was going and who she was seeing. She hated to see the same scenario play out with her brother, but she supposed given their mother's controlling nature it was almost inevitable. Jeff then filled her in on the fact that her mother had caught Anthony with his friend at the mall and flipped out, shouting and embarrassing him.

Annie stepped over to Jeff and held his hands, motioning for him to sit down on the bed, which he did.

She took a deep breath and said, "We have to handle this sensitively, but my mom needs to let Anthony have a girlfriend."

Jeff sighed and looked off toward the far wall. "That would help, but my guess is she's trying to …"

-"Prevent him from turning out like me?"

His eyes had quickly gone to hers, and she had nodded her understanding.

"If you want, you know… I could have a talk with him about protection."

She had stared at him once again before she found herself sputtering, "I don't think…Oh my god…Do you think? No!...I mean, maybe?...Oh, god, I don't know!"

Jeff had given her hands a squeeze and smiled sheepishly. "I may have given him a little lecture about it already. Please don't hate me."

She had looked up at him then, eyes brimming with tears. "You did?"

He cringed. "Yeah. It was painfully awkward for both of us. Sorry if I overstepped."

"No, it's okay. I don't think I'd feel comfortable having that discussion with him. Thank you."

"Sure."

"You'll make a great dad to a teenager someday."

He had rolled his eyes, but she didn't let him off the hook and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

They made an effort to sit down with her mother a couple days later and talk to her about the situation. Her mother had initially silently bristled at the subject, but after a minute launched into a full on rant about Anthony disrespecting her. It had taken all of Annie's efforts not to engage in a shouting match with her.

Having Jeff there helped, for he had deftly intervened, motioning for her mother to stop and then piling on the empathy, which she noticed with annoyance buttered her mother up. It was when he had her where he wanted that he laid out a case for letting Anthony see Natalie, emphasizing that given the proper support and at times supervision it would likely be a healthy situation, and that Anthony would trust her more.

Her mother had turned to Annie then, her eyes glistening with what Annie suspected were genuine tears. She had reached over and taken Annie's hand, an awkward gesture that was not in keeping with their relationship, but Annie decided to let it go. She knew her mother was trying in her own way, and despite the flashes of irritability it stirred up for her, she wanted her brother to have a better experience. She still felt intensely guilty about leaving him for three years.

"Would that have helped with you, Anna?"

"Yes, mom, I think it would have."

Her mother had then frozen for almost a full minute, her eyes on the floor while still clutching Annie's hand. Annie and Jeff had exchanged bewildered looks and then feigned neutrality as her mother lifted her head and regarded them with a resoluteness that unnerved Annie.

"I'll do it. I'll let him see her."

Annie found herself overcome with a mixture of feelings, the predominant ones being shock, hope, and fear.

"You will?"

"Yes. But I want to meet this girl's parents. We need to make sure there's a village, as a great woman once wrote."

Annie thought back to Hillary Rodham Kitten and silently prayed for her mother to restrain herself.

X

X

Of course she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. As she looked over her list for the tenth time in a row, her phone buzzed with a call from Anthony. She answered.

"Oh my god, mom's crazy!"

"Anthony, calm down. What happened?"

She began to pace the bedroom. Her brother's tone concerned her, as it attained an unusual and fairly high pitch at the end.

His response was swift. "You know how she seemed all reasonable after you guys talked to her? How she said she'd let me hang out with Natalie?"

"Yes?" Annie felt something flutter in her stomach.

"She talked to Natalie's mom."

With a sigh, Annie confessed, "I know. She told me she was going to. I think she just wanted reassurance, which you can't blame her for…"

-"She suggested to Natalie's mom that she put her on the pill. Oh my god, I'm literally dying."

Annie closed her eyes, feeling a disturbingly familiar wave of frustration and anxiety wash over her. She managed, "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sooo embarrassed, you have no idea."

"Was Natalie's mom mad?"

There was a fairly long pause before Anthony replied, "No, she actually thought it was a good idea, which is why she talked to _Natalie_ , who told _me_ , and now we're both literally dying. _Dying_ , Annie. Help."

Annie opened her eyes and placed her list down on the bedside table. She glanced over at her half-packed suitcase and then sat down on the edge of the bed with a weariness that surprised her.

"I'm sorry, Anthony. We thought we were helping."

There were a few beats of silence before he said, "I'm not mad at you guys. You tried. Thanks."

She hesitated for a moment but then couldn't help herself, a new and disturbing empathy for her mother coming over her. She ventured, "I know mom crossed a line, and she's _terrible_ , but….. Maybe it's not such a bad idea? Natalie on the pill?"

She cringed as she awaited his response, which came surprisingly quick.

"We're not doing it! Oh my god!"

She squeaked, "I know, but just in case?"

"Oh my god, Annie! What did Jeff say to you? I told him that we don't…I can't believe…."

-"Anthony, I had sex in high school. It happens. Don't make the same mistakes I made."

She heard his breath catch and then was treated to various sounds of him rummaging through his room. She waited patiently on the other end, knowing that embarrassed probably wasn't even the accurate term to use for what they were both feeling in the moment.

 _Mortified?_

He finally said, "No offense, Annie, but I'm not you."

"I know."

"And I'm not doing drugs either. I don't even drink."

"Okay."

"I just like hanging out with her. She's cool. But that's it. Trust me, I'm gonna make it out of high school and go away to college. Like far away, or maybe just Denver if you guys end up moving there cause I'd really like to see Sophie grow up."

Annie felt herself pushing down a sob, which was partially successful.

"Annie, please don't cry."

"I love you."

A few minutes later, Annie ended the call and placed her phone on the side table. She winced slightly as she touched her lower abdomen. She had been ignoring the odd sensations she had been experiencing over the past several days, figuring her body always reacted strangely when she was under stress. At first she thought it was early cramps, but this felt different.

She winced once again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jeff strolled through the quad, his hands in his puff jacket in an attempt to stay warm. He knew his stride looked better when he let his hands swing nonchalantly to the side, but alas.

He wondered how it would be to go skiing with Annie. Although they had been planning the romantic trip for a while now, the event was turning out to be even more of an _event_. Plus, now that they were planning to elope at the ski lodge, Sophie was of course coming with them. They both couldn't bear not to have her present at their wedding, but having her accompany them added a wrinkle to the proceedings.

He frowned as he realized this meant they were unlikely to have a bona fide _wedding night_.

"Are you constipated?"

He startled as Troy swung up next to him, a textbook for underwater basket weaving under his arm.

 _Textbook? It looks damp._

He continued on his walk, Troy keeping up at his side.

"I'm not constipated. I was just thinking."

"Sure, Jeff. But no worries if things are backed up. My grandma has a great recipe. I'd be happy to share it with you."

Jeff stopped and turned to Troy in annoyance. He looked down at his friend and noticed his big brown eyes growing even larger.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just sympathize." He began to nod solemnly, which impelled Jeff to smack him on the arm.

"I'm fine. Honestly."

Troy wrinkled his brow. "Then why so intense?"

"I'm not _intense_. I was just mentally going through the plans for Annie and my ski trip next weekend."

As he instantly regretted even mentioning it, Abed appeared from behind him and joined Troy, giving him their handshake. They both then turned to stare at him once more.

"What?"

Abed cocked his head. "You mentioned your ski trip. I'd like to remind you that Troy and I will also be near your hotel this weekend and need a ride to our Inspector Spacetime Convention."

"Are you actually _asking_ me this time?" Jeff squinted at them both.

Abed popped a piece of popcorn in his mouth. Up until that point, Jeff hadn't noticed that he was even holding a small bag of popcorn. It was an odd choice of snack for a brisk November day.

As Abed chewed, Troy exchanged glances with him and then answered, "Yeah, could we come along? Please?"

Jeff sighed and looked up at the sky for a moment before addressing them, "We won't have much room in the car."

"But you're taking the SUV, right? Cause you guys will be up in the mountains."

"Yes, but Sophie's coming with, we need to drop Ruffles off at Ian's on the way out of town, and knowing you two, you'll have all sorts of elaborate space gear."

"I don't have to bring my hat."

"Troy."

"That's interesting. Why is Sophie coming?"

Jeff was unnerved by Abed's astute question. He looked at him for a flash, noticing the intensity of his gaze, and instead focused his attention on Troy. It was always easier to look at Troy.

"Annie didn't want to leave Sophie, and we thought it might be fun to introduce her to the mountains. They have a place where small children can get acquainted on skis."

Abed said, "She's three."

"Yes, but she can get acquainted. She won't actually be skiing."

"But I thought this was supposed to be a romantic trip."

"No, Abed. It's a family trip."

"Really? Then why aren't you looking at me."

Jeff cringed internally but did his best to keep an impassive face as he finally turned to face Abed. He then almost snapped as he saw Abed's camera in his face.

"Goddamn it, Abed! Get that thing…" he began swatting at it, as Abed moved backward.

"Jeff, maybe there is a gas leak. None of the events are lining up with actual dates. It's not even Thanksgiving yet, and it feels like Thanksgiving has already past. Are there any other events that are out of order?"

"Abed!"

"You promised you'd tell me."

It was then that they were interrupted by the ringing of Jeff's phone. Relieved at the interruption, Jeff pulled it out of his pocket and made a shushing gesture at them as he read the text.

His face stilled.

[ANNIE]: I'm in pain and I don't know what's wrong. I think I'm ok but could u please come? I'm at the ER."

"Dude, what is it? You're like whiter than Pierce's dad's ivory hair."

Jeff shushed them once again and then dialed. "Annie?"

"Jeff, I don't know what's going on. My abdomen hurts."

He could hear the sharp intake of air in between her words.

"I'm on my way."

He didn't even object as Troy and Abed followed.

X

X

Upon reaching the hospital, Jeff searched for Annie, not spotting her in the waiting area. After consulting the desk staff, he was informed that she had been taken back to an examination area. Lying and saying he was her husband (it was almost true), he was allowed to go back to be with her. Abed and Troy remained in the waiting area. As he went back with the nurse, Jeff had the odd realization that Abed had been present thus far on three hospital visits, and Troy on two.

 _They really are good friends._

He pushed down a choking sensation and wiped something from the corner of his eye as he focused his efforts on locating Annie. He was instantly relieved when the nurse knocked lightly on a door and then opened it to reveal Annie lying on an examination table in a paper gown, a light blanket draped across her lower body. Her eyes were rimmed pink, and she smiled slightly at his appearance.

He returned the smile and sat down next to her, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her temple.

"I'm sorry to make such a fuss."

"Oh come on. Are you okay?"

The nurse looked back and forth between them with sympathy. She said, "The doctor will be back again shortly."

Annie nodded as the nurse slipped out. She then turned toward Jeff, noticing his puzzled expression.

"Did you see the doctor already?"

She nodded. "My IUD almost perforated my uterus."

Jeff felt his head begin to spin. He clutched her hand and took a deep breath. "That can happen?"

"It's rare these days, but yes."

He stared at her in complete befuddlement. "Why would you choose a birth control method where this could happen?"

He instantly regretted saying that, as she narrowed her eyes at him.

She hissed, "Because I didn't want to get pregnant again, and it's very effective. Plus like I said it's a rare occurrence. Oh, and by they way, my uterus is fine."

He felt like an ass and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I was just scared. I don't want anything to happen to you."

He opened his eyes and looked at her face, noticing it was already softening.

"I know. I'm sorry I worried you."

"Are you still in pain?"

"They gave me something, which you know I hate, but I needed it. The doctor said she'd come back and take the IUD out. It's already apparently half out anyway." She cringed as she added, "I didn't notice."

He stared at her, doing a crap job of hiding his alarm. He managed, "What does that mean? They can just like fall out?"

She smiled tightly. "They can. Again, it's rare."

"Does this mean it doesn't work anymore?"

"Pretty much." She smiled nervously before adding, "They're running a pregnancy test just to be sure. We'll know in a few minutes."

He gave her hand another squeeze. "I'm just happy you're okay."

Her voice now quivering, she said, "If it's positive…" She stopped speaking as she searched his face, readily finding the barely concealed look of shock.

"Oh god, you're not ready."

"I'm ready. I love you." He leaned over and gave her a kiss, surprising himself with his words. While he wasn't sure if he was actually ready, he didn't think now was the time to engage in soul-searching. He needed to comfort her, and he honestly didn't really know how he felt. He supposed it was out of their hands now. If she were pregnant, of course they'd keep it. He'd have to get ready.

And give Sophie lots of reassuring cuddles.

He barely registered Annie's words.

"I love you, too."

At that moment, the doctor returned and introduced herself to Jeff. With Annie's consent, she shared that the pregnancy test was negative and that she would proceed with removing the IUD.

 _Well, there's that then._

"We can of course put in a new one."

Jeff's mouth fell open, and he barely felt Annie squeeze his hand.

"Jeff…"

"There's no way in hell. This could have killed you!"

The doctor did her best to calm him down, after which she explained the potential risks and benefits of them inserting a new device.

"Could this happen again?"

"Yes, but it's unlikely, Mr. Edison."

"Right. It's _rare_."

Annie turned toward him and smiled slightly. "I agree with you. I don't want a new one. But we'll need to talk about what else we'll use."

He felt his chest relax and his breathing slow. "Okay."

Annie turned back toward the doctor and said resolutely, "I don't want a new one."

The doctor nodded in comprehension and said, "That's fine. You can always change your mind and have your gynecologist insert one. But you have plenty of other possibilities, which you can also discuss with her. There's the pill, implant, cervical cap, sponge, diaphragm, condoms. All great options. I'll just take this out today, okay? It'll only take about twenty to thirty seconds."

With that, Jeff had the most surreal experience of his life as he held Annie's hand as she put her feet in the stirrups. The doctor then inserted a speculum and reached up into her to pull out a very strange looking device.

 _Damn._

Not even knowing it were possible, he had even more respect for his lady.

X

X

Annie let Jeff hold her for a few minutes in the room before they went out to meet their friends. She felt warm and safe now, with his soft kisses on her head and his big arms wrapped around her. She had been more scared initially than she had let on, for when Jeff had arrived she had known what was going on and that she would be fine. To see him so upset though was difficult, and her heart warmed in the knowledge that she was making a very good decision in taking him on as a husband.

 _He'll make a great husband._

She startled as her phone beeped to alert her to an incoming text from Anthony:

OMG! Mom is CRAZY! She just gave me a giant box of CONDOMS! I'm DYING!

Annie chortled and turned the phone toward Jeff so he could see. His eyes widened and they both began to giggle in bewilderment. It had been a crazy day.

She allowed him to escort her back to the waiting area where she was met with relieved hugs from Abed and Troy, who at some point procured daisies from the gift shop.

"Are you okay, Annie?"

She accepted the flowers from Troy and smiled in appreciation. "Yes, it's just a little embarrassing."

"What was wrong? You can tell us. We love you."

Annie exchanged hesitant looks with Jeff, who merely shrugged. She smiled sheepishly. "I guess it's nothing to be embarrassed about. There was a problem with my IUD so they needed to take it out. But I'm fine. They were able to remove it before it did any damage."

Troy furrowed his brow. "Did you get into a car crash? And if so, does that mean we can't tag along with you guys to the mountains?" 

Annie's eyes widened in realization. "IUD. Not SUV."

"Oh."

At his continued frowning, she explained, "Intrauterine Device. It's a forth of birth control, Troy."

Jeff began to massage her back, as they both cringed. Troy suddenly seemed to snap to.

"Oh!"

"Yes, Troy."

"But you're all right?"

She began to laugh. "Yes."

"Why are you laughing?"

"No reason."

Abed then tapped Jeff on the shoulder. "Interesting."

"Shut up, Abed."

"Oh, we'll talk about that soon enough, Jeff. But right now there are more pressing matters."

To everyone's astonishment, Abed took out his laptop and flipped it open to reveal an official looking document.

"While you guys were busy, I became an ordained internet minister. I'm surprised I've waited this long, honestly, since almost every sitcom has the need for one these days. Since I never really know if we're in a sitcom, it didn't seem that urgent, but given our conversation earlier, I think I've figured everything out."

Annie exchanged looks with Jeff and then turned back to Abed.

She asked, "What do you think you've figured out?"

The corners of Abed's mouth rose just a tad as he answered, "You two are eloping this weekend, right? Troy and I won't tell if you give us a ride to our Inspector Spacetime convention. Oh, and if you let me marry you guys."

"Abed…"

"And I get to film it. While slightly unorthodox, I can mount the camera on a tripod. I'd have Troy do it but he's hopeless…"

-"Hey!"

-"Plus someone will have to stay next to Sophie to help her. Oh, and you'll also need Troy to be a witness. The officiant can't also be a witness. I looked it up."

Annie turned back to Jeff and muttered, "Well, we didn't yet have an officiant or a witness."

Jeff held her gaze for a few moments, both of them contemplating the next course of action.

But they both pretty much knew what they were going to do.


	20. The Wedding

**Chapter 20: The Wedding**

Summary: Annie and Jeff get hitched

Annie glanced in the rearview mirror at Sophie. They had just dropped of Ruffles at Ian's place, and were continuing on their trek. Observing Sophie staring out the side window, she refocused her attention on steering and turned down Varsity Lane toward Greendale.

Jeff let out a groan from the passenger seat and thumped his head back against the headrest. "Why are we going to school again?"

"To pick up Troy and Abed," she explained for the tenth time since they left the apartment.

He appeared to ponder this for a moment, but then furrowed his brow. As if something were finally clicking into place, he muttered, "But why not at the dynamic duo's place? Something's up."

She bit her lip, feeling perhaps it was time to come clean. "They needed to bring their camera equipment."

He turned toward her in one sharp movement. "There's no way we're allowing that."

"You don't think?"

"No."

"But surely some footage might be nice?"

She felt his eyes continue to bore into the side of her.

"It will not be just some private moments captured on film. I don't want our wedding to be in Abed's stupid movie. It's too intimate."

She nodded her agreement. Of course he was right. She didn't really want Abed filming them, but at the same time the thought of having a video of the ceremony had some appeal.

She ventured, "We could compromise. Just have him include a snippet in his film?"

"Oh, I'll work out a _compromise_ with him all right."

"Jeff."

He let out a long and wearied sigh and flipped his head back against the headrest. This wasn't the way she had envisioned them heading out for their elopement, but she knew whenever Jeff was nervous he became irritable. She decided to try to put him in a better mood.

She flashed a smile as she glanced over at him and caught his eye. "There is one big plus to having them join us. We get to have a _wedding night_."

She came to a stop at the light and then watched as a smirk began to form across his face. His cheeks reddened just a little in a way that was almost boyish, and she couldn't help but be taken completely aback by him again. Although they had been in a relationship for almost two and a half years, sometimes she was still amazed at how giddy she'd feel at the anticipation of some alone time with him. She shifted a little in her seat and then focused her attentions back to the light, which turned green.

She sensed him also adjusting position and then realized he was reaching down for her purse in between them.

"Mind if I review the list? Just to make sure we have everything?"

"Well, we already reviewed the list. But I guess it can't hurt to be thorough."

He cleared his throat and then suppressed a giggle. She arched a brow and waited.

He began to hum to himself as he went through the items, "Ask hotel for cot for Sophie? Well yes, done. She's rooming with the weirdos. Wedding dress. I assume. Jeff's wedding band. Yup, in your bag."

A little voice chimed in from the backseat, _"I wid what, Daddy? We-wos?"_

He answered dryly, "Uncle Troy and Uncle Abed. You're sharing a room."

" _Okay."_

"Ahem. Where was I? Ah, marriage license. Check. In my bag. Witness, soon. Officiant, soon. Ahhh…this last item is particularly interesting…Ahh."

Annie felt her cheeks flush, realizing that she hadn't shown him her actual finalized list. But she pushed down her embarrassment, knowing it was completely unnecessary and waited.

After a pause for dramatic effect, he continued, "Prophylactics. Nice."

"You were looking at my list earlier?"

"Of course. I didn't want us to forget anything. This last item has me intrigued." He paused before asking in a teasing tone, "Did you?"

She sighed. "Yes. In my bag. And keep your voice down." She indicated with her head toward the backseat.

He flipped down the visor to view the mirror and. satisfied Sophie seemed to now be flipping through one of her giant cardboard picture books, closed it and turned his attention back to Annie.

"Come on. She doesn't know that word. Why did you use such a technical term anyway? You could have just said…"

-"Jeff."

"Okay, okay. But seriously, it's not up to you to provide that stuff anyway you know. Not after what you went through. I think you've taken care of our birth control needs enough over the past couple years. Yikes." He winced.

She nodded adamantly. "I'm okay, really. And I don't mind picking up some protection."

He muttered something as he placed the list back in her purse. He then turned and reached into the glove compartment to pull out an item and placed it on her lap.

She continued to steer, slightly irritated that he was attempting to distract her. She could hear him humming as he awaited her to look down, but she prided herself on her self-control and continued to look straight ahead.

"Don't you want to know what it is?"

"I'm driving."

" _Mama hab pwesent?"_

"Yup, Mama has a special present."

" _I get a pwesent?"_

"Sure, munchkin. Here."

Annie caught a flash of him tossing a stuffed bumblebee into the backseat. 

" _Oh yay!"_

"Enjoy."

"Jeff!"

"I wanted her occupied." He motioned toward the item on her lap as they came to another stoplight.

She sighed and finally looked down, her eyes widening as she saw a large box of condoms. She closed her eyes and whispered, "You are such a dork."

His tone was affectedly condescending, "Now, now, it's been awhile since we've needed them, but I thought I'd stock up. I got these before I saw your finalized list, so I guess we'll just have to use _both_ boxes this weekend. We can buy more when we're on our way home."

She turned toward him, her cheeks on fire, and swatted in the direction of his grinning face, not even touching him as he chuckled.

" _I like my bee. Dank you."_

"You're welcome, munchkin."

Annie whispered, "Where did you even get that?"

"The toy store."

"Not the bee. I meant _this_." She shoved the box back at him as she pressed on the gas.

"The toy store."

"You're terrible."

"Actually, it was Dildopolis."

"God. It's huge."

"I always wanted to hear you say that."

She rolled her eyes. "Dildopolis? Really?"

"No, actually, I got these from your brother. He told me he didn't need them."

"Jeff! Oh my god!"

"I'm joking!"

"You better be."

She glanced over at his grin, and she instantly felt herself relax. He was an idiot, but he was her idiot.

"Hey, watch the road. Maybe I should drive."

"No. I know how you get when Abed's around, and I think it's a fair assessment to say that I can keep us focused on our journey." She turned studiously back to the road and puffed out her chest.

" _Mama, I lub my bee. Did you get a bee?"_

"I'm glad you like your bee, sweetie. Daddy didn't get me a bee. He was just teasing me."

" _I dwive, mama?"_ Sophie began motioning toward the front of the car.

Jeff turned around to shush her as Annie made the turn into the Greendale parking lot near the dormitory. Annie parked the car right in back of dorm five. At the realization of where they were, Jeff pursed his lips and leaned back against the headrest, closing his eyes. Within moments, Pavel's face was plastered against the passenger window. At the sound, Jeff's eyes flew open and he noticeably tensed.

There was a muffled, "Mad trippy! I have camera. I put it in back, okay?"

Jeff rolled down the window a crack so he could respond, "Yeah." He then motioned for Pavel to step back and proceeded to open the door so that he could assist. Annie figured the last thing he wanted to do was to have someone scratch the back of the SUV. She pressed the button to unlock the backdoor.

Within a few minutes, the equipment and bags were loaded and Troy and Abed were seated to the right of Sophie, Troy in the middle, which put Abed directly behind Jeff.

"We can save time by changing into our costumes in the car."

Jeff snapped around and said, "No."

Abed cocked his head and stared at him. "But it will save time."

"You're coming to the hotel with us. I paid for an adjoining room. You can change there."

"But I thought you could drop us off at the convention center on the way up so that Troy and I can get a head start on the activities. I'm not marrying you until tomorrow."

"We're not picking you up from the convention later tonight."

"No need. We can find a way back to the hotel. We could take a cab." Abed proceeded to reach forward and tap him lightly on the shoulder.

Jeff stole a glance with Annie, and she gave a shrug as she reached in to the back seat to hand Troy Sophie's sippy cup. Jeff sighed and reached into his wallet, pulled out some bills and tossed them back.

In response, Abed pumped his fist in the air. "Nice! Thank you."

"You're not changing in the car."

Ignoring him, Abed proceeded to take out a binder of materials from under his jacket. "I printed out several maps of the convention center and color coded the best potential routes. I have a longer stride, but Troy's superior physical fitness will allow him to compensate with greater speed."

"Awesome."

X

X

" _I hab go potty, Mama."_

"Of course, sweetie. I'll just stop up here." Annie entered the right lane and made her way toward an exit ramp.

Jeff asked, "Didn't she go right before we left?"

"She did, but remember her bladder's small. She's not used to this long of a drive."

Jeff nodded his understanding and then said, "Hey munchkin, hold it for just a minute, okay? We're almost to the rest stop."

" _Okay."_

"I don't think I can make it. Pull over."

"Troy, you will hold it until we get here."

"I'll try, man, but I dunno."

" _You can do id, Twoy! We go potty ssssoooon, okay?"_

"Yeah, I just wish I hadn't had that extra milkshake."

" _You tummy huwt?"_

"Kinda. This sucks."

X

X

Much to Annie's amusement, Jeff did his best to ignore the fact that Troy and Abed returned to the car wearing their Inspector Spacetime costumes.

"Jeff, we wanted to keep this a surprise, but since you show no interest in coming into the convention hall, I will have to entice you by other means." Abed wiggled his eyebrows as he pushed forth a convention flyer. He added, "You bear a striking resemblance to Inspector Spacetime's supervillian, Thoraxis."

Abed and Troy snickered as Jeff looked down at the picture of Thoraxis, arms spread out and bare-chested with the words printed, _Bow for Thoraxis_. He furrowed his brow and muttered, "Huh."

"Sooo…Inspecticon?"

"Still no."

X

X

X

Jeff sighed, dropped Sophie's bag, and held his arms open in almost reverence as he looked up at the foyer of the hotel.

"After that hellish drive, this is heaven."

Annie glanced at him in mock annoyance as she held Sophie in her arms. "It wasn't that bad. At least they kept Sophie occupied."

Jeff tilted his head to the side in thought for a moment. "Good point. Anyway, thank god we're here."

They unloaded the car and had the valet park it so they could get up to their room as soon as possible. A bellhop escorted them to the elevator and within minutes they were facing their suite. Annie and Jeff exchanged wide grins as they surveyed the king-sized bed with two white terry cloth robes, two long-stemmed red roses, and plush pillows. Jeff tipped the bellhop for bringing up their bags and then closed the door.

" _Ooooh!_ "

Sophie was already out of Annie's arms and staring into the open door of the adjoining room. Annie followed her and peered inside. She gasped when she saw a queen-sized bed and twin-sized one alongside it. She followed Sophie's gaze and spotted the low table with a bucket of m&ms, a plate of Doritos, and Bagel Bites.

"Jeff, did you see this?!"

She felt him come up behind her, placing his arms around her and nuzzling his head near her neck. "I may have given the hotel a heads up."

"I knew you were a softie." She allowed him to give her a squeeze and felt his hot kiss against her neck.

He said, "Well, they are helping us out. Not only by marrying us and witnessing, but with babysitting tomorrow night."

She turned and gave him a quick kiss before she scrambled after Sophie, who was now going for the m&ms. She picked her up and handed her one tiny piece of candy and said, "You can have some more tomorrow. We need to eat dinner and then get you ready for bed."

Jeff came over and patted Sophie's head. "The munchkin and I have an errand to run first."

Annie lifted a brow.

He explained, "I need to talk over some things with the manager for tomorrow, and I thought I'd show her the aquarium downstairs. Then you'll have time to get things organized, since I know you like that sort of thing."

Annie smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Awww. I'll put all our stuff away and set up her bed with her stuffies. And I'll put the candy up a little higher."

He laughed. "Good idea." He took Sophie from her and hoisted her to his side. "Maybe you could order room service? She'll probably get too riled up if we eat downstairs since it's almost bedtime."

" _It NOT bedtime."_

"Not yet, munchkin. We have a little adventure before then."

Annie laughed. "Yes, I'll give a call. See you in a few."

X

X

"Yes, I'd like to order some food."

"And how many people will be dining today, Mrs. Winger? "

"Oh, I'm not…" Annie paused and then realized that while technically they weren't married yet, tomorrow at this time she would actually be Mrs. Edison-Winger. The name sounded strange coming from someone else's voice. She gulped and continued, "Three. Yes, I'd like a child's grilled cheese sandwich, a turkey burger and a second turkey burger but no bun. My _husband_ doesn't do carbs. He would like a scotch." She silently congratulated herself on the successful use of the word _husband_.

"And what kind of scotch would your husband prefer?"

She faltered for a second, not even sure why she ordered Jeff a scotch. It had just seemed like the thing she was supposed to do for her _husband_. She knew nothing about scotch, only that Jeff drank it on special occasions.

"The…good kind."

"I'll see what I can do."

She replaced the receiver and did a bounce on the bed. On a whim, she picked up the phone again.

"Yes, Mrs. Winger?"

She quickly hung up and smiled before giggling and throwing herself back on the bed.

X

X

Meanwhile Jeff and Sophie were staring into the large fish tank in the lobby, Sophie's hands lightly pressed against it as Jeff made sure she wasn't pushing too hard.

"Pretty neat, huh, munchkin?"

" _Yah, Daddy. Cool cool cool!"_

He took her bear from her so she wouldn't drop it and continued to watch her amazement at the brightly colored fish. She was easy to amuse in a lot of ways at her age. His mind flashed back to the times when he held her as a baby and she couldn't communicate with him verbally yet he found they usually got along, as long as her diaper was dry and she had been fed. It dawned on him that if he and Annie did have another one he'd be much more involved in the infant care part than he had been with Sophie. Peek-a-boo time alone wouldn't cut it. He'd have to do the hard stuff too this time.

" _Dey sooo many, Daddy. Dey swim like ME!"_

He cringed slightly as her voice shot up in a little screech. As he cast an apologetic look about the lounge, he caught the eye of a stunningly attractive woman who was watching them from the settee. To his surprise, she smiled broadly at him and then rose and walked over.

"Excuse me. I don't mean to bother you, but are you Nigel Cuthbertson, the actor who played Thoraxis?"

Jeff let out a low laugh and then shook his head. "Common mistake, but no."

"Really? You look just like him and the Inspecticon is just at the base of the mountain." The woman sat down in a chair near the fish tank, a mere foot away from them and continued to regard him with intense interest.

He shrugged. "I've been told I bear a resemblance, but I swear I'm not him."

She leaned forward, lightly pushing her cleavage into view. "Are you going incognito? And that American accent, are you practicing? It's not too bad, but you could work on your _os_."

Keeping his eyes on hers and not her chest, Jeff squinted at her for a moment before feeling Sophie tug at his sleeve. He realized he was still crouched down near the tank. He turned toward her.

"Yup, munchkin?"

" _Da lady is pwetty."_

He chuckled as he realized she was staring at the woman.

She added, _"She hab shoe like Bubbe."_

He glanced at the woman's shoes, realizing they were red stilettos.

He said, "You're very perceptive with an eye for fine footwear. Those are Bubbe's shoes."

The woman asked, "Bubbe?"

"Her grandmother. My _wife's_ Jewish." He smiled politely as he waited for her to go away.

The woman gasped and placed her hand over her chest. "Wife? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to... I'm just a fan!"

"It's okay."

"Is this your daughter? She's beautiful."

He sighed wistfully as he scrunched one errant curl popping out of the side of Sophie's head.

"Yeah, she is."

X

X

Annie crept down into the hotel lobby. She had waited for Jeff and Sophie to return to the room and now that room service had arrived, she figured she better find them so the food wouldn't get cold. She had tried unsuccessfully to reach Jeff via his cell but the reception was poor at this altitude and she guessed he didn't yet have the hotel's wi-fi password.

She spotted them sitting on a couch next to the fish tank. Her eyes widened as she took in the scene of Sophie giggling at an approximately six-month-old baby seated on Jeff's lap. Jeff was awkwardly trying to maneuver the infant as it attempted to launch itself away from him.

"Hey now, I'm not that bad." Jeff pursed his lips as he lifted the child under its arms and placed it back on his knee.

" _She wanna pway wid me, Daddy."_

"She's an infant. She's not playing with you."

" _I show her da fishes?"_

Jeff let out one low laugh. "No, she doesn't care about that. Let's just wait for her mommy to come back, okay?"

Annie stepped over to them and sat down on a chair opposite, tilting her head to the side in wonder. She asked with a bemused tone, "Who is this?"

In response, Sophie screeched, _"She a baby, Mama! A babeee!"_

Annie laughed and motioned for Sophie to come sit on her lap. As she pulled her up she asked, "Where did the baby come from?"

Sophie continued to regard the baby with intense interest as she sat across from it.

Jeff smiled sheepishly. "Annie, this is Annabelle. Her mother needed to attend to her other sick kid. They're in the bathroom, so she asked me to watch her for a few minutes."

Sophie turned to look up at Annie and with dramatic hand gestures explained, _"He bawwwwf, Mama!"_

"Sweetie, we don't use the word _barf._ He _threw up_."

" _He thwew up ebweywhere!"_ Sophie pointed off toward the edge of the lobby with almost a look of awe where a maid was busy scrubbing the carpet.

Annie wrinkled her nose and addressed Jeff, "That sounds awful. Poor baby."

Jeff sighed and then narrowed his eyes at the baby as she again shifted in his lap. At the beginning of a drool, he frantically grabbed a wipe from a diaper bag sitting to his left and made an attempt to stop the spitball from hitting his jeans, to no avail.

"Dammit."

Annie watched him as he continued to lightly dab at the baby's chin. She couldn't help but observe his hand shake slightly. In an effort to provide reassurance, she remarked, "You're sweet."

"Now there's drool all over my pants." He sniffed and then added, "Christ almighty, I smell something."

"Jeff, please calm down."

Annie let Sophie slide off her lap and resume staring at the baby. She took her bear and placed it in front of the child, who swatted at it but then began giggling. Annie smiled and looked up at Jeff, expecting him to be sharing in the adorable moment. Her stomach dropped at the realization that he was watching the interplay with a stern expression, sweat beginning to form on his brow.

"Are you okay?" She continued to eye him with concern.

He snapped, "Yes, I'm _fine_."

She hissed, "What is your problem?"

Sophie glanced up at both of them and frowned. In response, Annie did her best to resume a friendly expression and picked up the bear, motioning it in between Sophie and the baby.

"Isn't she just so sweet, Sophie? What a sweet baby."

" _Daddy mad."_

"Daddy's just stressed, aren't you, Daddy? He needs a nap."

" _Yah, Daddy. You need nap."_ Sophie smiled triumphantly before adding with a flash of fear, _"But I don't. No nap, okay?"_

Annie relaxed slightly as she caught Jeff's eye and recognized his sense of remorse. He then turned toward her and attempted to hand her the baby.

"What are you doing?" She held up her hand in a successful attempt to stop him.

His face fell and then he furrowed his brow. "Since you're here, and you're better at this than I am…"

"Her mother left her with you."

He cringed. "But she doesn't know me either. She just saw me and Sophie hanging out and panicked, figuring for some godforsaken reason I was trustworthy."

"You are trustworthy, Jeff."

"Ha ha."

She patted the baby on the head, letting her hand linger a moment on the soft tufts of blonde hair. She then looked back up and noticed Jeff was watching her with his lips pursed once again, his eyes slightly widened. He attempted to nudge the baby over to her and she again stopped him. At her look of reproach, he smiled tightly.

She felt her stomach sink a little more as the realization hit her. She knew it in the doctor's office the other day and yet he reassured her that he would be okay if she had been pregnant. But looking at him now, it dawned on her that he was providing her with false reassurance. Or more likely he wanted to believe he would be okay with another child. But his behavior at the present moment indicated he was far more conflicted than she had initially thought.

"You're not ready."

In response to her statement, he merely sighed and closed his eyes, maneuvering the baby slightly so that she stopped squirming.

" _You a good baby, yes. Sweeetiee."_

With a slight tremble in her voice Annie said, "Just so I know, is it completely out of the question at some point?"

His eyes flew open and he regarded her with alarm.

He said immediately, "Of course it's not out of the question. We already agreed we'd," he dropped his voice as he continued, "try to give her a sibling. I'm not going back on that, Annie. That wouldn't be fair to you."

"Really? Because you look pretty terrified and this baby isn't even ours."

He opened his mouth to respond, but was stopped by the reemergence of Annabelle's mother who came rushing from around the corner with a pale three-year old little boy in her arms. She spotted them and with a look of relief, came over and sat down next to Jeff and placed the little boy to her side. She then motioned for the baby, her expression instantly changing to one of increased warmth. The baby began to squeal as they were reunited.

Annie glanced over at Jeff and noticed he was smiling in a more relaxed way as the baby left his arms.

Annabelle's mother exclaimed, "Thank you so much! I can't tell you how helpful that was. Really, I owe you. She wasn't any trouble, was she?"

"Not at all. She and Sophie made good friends."

" _Yah, I take her to my room?"_

"No, munchkin, Annabelle needs to be with her mommy."

" _Oh."_ Sophie eyed the little boy and then asked, _"You wanna come to my room? Don't thwow up."_

The little boy shook his head and then began to pout.

The woman smiled down at Sophie and proceeded to give Annabelle a big kiss as she cuddled her. Her eyes then went to Annie.

Jeff said, "Darcy, this is my wife, Annie. Annie, Darcy, Annabelle's mom. She's on the beginning of a hopefully better vacation."

Annie warmed at his use of the word _wife_ and exchanged a coy look with him, noticing he was blushing. She gave a wave to Darcy.

"It's so good to meet you, Annie. Your husband here was a lifesaver. I just didn't know what to do when Tommy got sick. My husband Dale is at this sci-fi convention at the base of the mountain so I was kind of in a pinch."

Annie smiled in sympathy. "Is Tommy okay?"

"I think he's feeling a lot better since he completely emptied the contents of his stomach. He ate a bunch of gummy Inspector Spacetime figures on the way up, which I told Dale was a mistake, but he never listens." She then smiled tightly and turned toward Jeff, "You are wonderful, really. How can I repay you?"

Jeff shook his head. "No need. I just hope Tommy continues to feel better and that you get some time to relax."

"I could watch your daughter for you if you want? She and Tommy could play tomorrow?"

Annie and Jeff exchanged bemused looks and then Jeff said, "Actually, we have a jam-packed day planned, and Sophie's got some stuff she needs to do, right munchkin?"

" _I hab a pwetty dwess. Id pink."_

Darcy chuckled. "That sounds amazing." She then stood and took Tommy by the hand. "Well, we should probably just go upstairs and get him to bed."

Sophie raised her eyebrows and yelled toward the little boy, _"Are da gummies good?"_

" _Yah."_

" _Daddy, can I hab some?"_

Jeff stared at her incredulously. He mouthed silently, "No," and then stood with Annie to say goodbye. After a few awkward words, Darcy and her kids left to go upstairs and Annie and Jeff sat back down, this time, Annie scooting next to him on the couch. She then shooed Sophie off toward the fish tank and turned to him.

"You saved her evening."

He shrugged.

She continued, "It's okay, Jeff."

"Is it?"

They both knew to what she was referring, which had little to do with Jeff's selfless act. Annie noticed he was avoiding looking at her and she took a moment to study his profile. He seemed almost ashamed.

She said tentatively, "Yes. Just because I want another baby doesn't mean we need to rush into it."

"Annie, I…"

-"I have a lot of fantasies, and one of them is my children being close in age so they can be there for each other, and frankly so I don't have to do all the baby stuff again when Sophie's ten years old." Her eyes went over to Sophie.

She added in a whisper, "But we both have to be on board. I can let my fantasy go." She gave his hand a squeeze. She felt his eyes on hers but blinked back her tears.

His thumb began to rub against hers and his voice became gravely.

"It's a big deal."

"Hmm?"

"Another munchkin."

"I think we could do it."

His voice moving down almost a whole octave, he said, "I don't want Sophie to think I don't want her."

Annie startled at his words and turned to him. He was staring at her with a hint of redness around his eyes, and he reached up and wiped away something from his left eye with his free hand.

She asked, "What on earth are you talking about? Why would she think that?"

He gulped and appeared to steady himself before he explained, "For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm doing something important. I found my purpose, Annie. It's to take care of you two, yes, even though I know you don't technically need me." He waived his hand in the air and then continued, "But as I've told you before, I want to. And I feel so privileged to be Sophie's father. You have no idea."

She nodded and felt her own tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. He reached over and wiped some away and leaned in closer.

He added, "Part of me is terrified she'll put it all together someday and realize once we got married we had a baby together and that she'll think she wasn't enough. Because that's not true. She absolutely _is_ enough."

Annie responded in a matched whisper, "Of course she's enough."

"I don't need to have a biological child with you because I absolutely consider Sophie my child."

Annie nodded once again, for the first time fully understanding what had been holding him back. She had assumed he wasn't sure about his ability to parent a newborn and while she suspected that was sort of true, she now realized it was much more than that. He wasn't concerned so much for his own feelings but for Sophie's. He didn't want her to feel unloved. Her heart warmed and she leaned her head completely into his shoulder, choking down a sob. She felt his hands pet her hair and a kiss against her temple.

She mumbled into him, "You're such a good father to her, thinking about how she'd feel about us having a baby. That's why I know you'd be a wonderful father to our next child, too." She could feel his chest tighten at her words. She added, "I love you so much."

"Love you too."

After taking a long sniff, she lifted her head and met his gaze. His eyes were scanning her in intense concern.

"With you as her father, she'll never feel unloved, no matter what. She knows you want her. I have absolutely no doubts that you will do your best to make sure she never forgets that or that she misunderstands anything."

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"I really believe that, Jeff. I wish you would trust yourself more." She once again gave his hand a squeeze.

He looked down at their entwined hands and then over at Sophie, who was approaching them with a grin on her face.

" _I sawed a BOO fish! Id soo pwetty!"_

Jeff let out a low laugh. "Did you? That's amazing."

At Sophie's attempts to lift her leg and climb onto the couch, Jeff let go of Annie's hand and lifted Sophie up, placing her in between them. He then hunched down for a moment to give Sophie a kiss on her forehead.

"You're really enjoying this place, huh? Wait until you see all the snow tomorrow. Troy said he'll take you sledding."

" _I like snow."_

"Yeah, it's really neat." He then let out a deep breath and leaned back against the couch, placing one arm outstretched so that he could lightly tug on the ends of Annie's hair.

As she indulged him, she realized to her relief that his wave of anxiety was likely passing.

He asked with an affected nonchalance, "So you think I'm over thinking all this?"

"Yes. And I love you even more for it."

"Annie."

"I do."

The edges of his eyes crinkled and he glanced down at Sophie, who was staring up at him. He said, "I'm sorry I was cranky. Mommy's right, I probably need a nap."

" _Id okay. I not nap."_

"I feel a little better now." To Annie's surprise, he then asked, "Do you wish you had a baby brother or sister?"

Sophie opened her mouth in a perfect O and paused before she replied, _"I wan baby. I gib baby bath."_

"Well let's discuss that aspect later. Would you help take care of the baby? Would you play with the baby?"

" _Yah!"_

"Hmmm."

"Jeff."

He finally looked up at her and smirked." I suppose it takes nine months to cook one."

Annie arched a brow and watched as he rubbed his other hand over his scruff.

She asked, "What are you saying?"

"I suppose that would give me enough time to figure out newborn stuff and to make sure she was fine with it."

"You know she'd love it."

"Yeah, I suspect you're right. She's kinda crazy about Elizabeth." He moved the bear back and forth in front of Sophie and made a low growling noise, which elicited a chuckle.

" _I lub El-liz-bed."_

Annie giggled. "Be careful what you say in front of her. She might get attached to the idea."

He shrugged.

She added, "As long as you don't always try to hand the baby to me, it'll be fine."

He looked over at her with another smirk. "Hey, if we had a baby, you wouldn't find me freaking out with it in a hotel lobby."

"No?"

"No. I'd have my act together by then, trust me. You could probably even leave me for more than a few minutes with the child."

"I see." She scooted a little closer and batted her eyelashes at him. She added, "But this is quite the turnaround, my soon-to-be- _husband_. Perhaps we shouldn't make any hasty decisions on our wedding weekend." She lowered her voice as she said, "Afterall, you and I both brought _prophylactics_. There plenty of time for us to be _reproductive-productive_."

He grinned at her reference to the debate preparation and leaned in for a kiss. As they parted, he asked, "Wanna practice with me?"

x

x

A little while later they sat in their room, finishing up dinner at the small table near the window. Annie sighed as she watched the snowfall and pointed out how beautiful it was to Sophie, who seemed a little more interested in the remnants of her grilled cheese sandwich.

"She has a hearty appetite."

"Perhaps she's getting ready for her flower girl duties tomorrow."

"Maybe."

"But it's also a big day for her too. Shall we?" Jeff motioned with his head toward his suitcase, which lay next to his duffel bag on the side table.

Annie nodded enthusiastically and clapped her hands as Jeff proceeded to pull out some papers.

She exclaimed, "Sophie! We have a surprise for you! We're going to do some paperwork!"

" _Yay!"_

Jeff snickered at her excitement of something she wasn't capable of fully understanding, and stepped over with the forms. He moved the plates out of the way and placed the papers in front of Sophie, along with two purple pens.

Annie cleaned Sophie's hands with a wet wipe and pulled her onto her lap as Jeff sat down next to them. She leaned in and explained, "Sweetie, as you know Mommy and Daddy are getting married tomorrow. We're having a wedding."

" _Yah."_

"And you're going to help us. You're going to hold some flowers and listen to Uncle Troy as he tells you what to do."

" _Und I hab pwetty dwess?"_

"Yes, sweetie. You get to wear your pink dress. And Mommy and Daddy are going to say some things to each other and then we'll be married." She paused as Sophie nodded her understanding. She continued, "You remember when we adopted Ruffles? We signed her adoption papers and she became Ruffles Bananas Edison-Winger?"

" _Yah._ "

"Well, Daddy's going to marry me and he's also going to adopt you. So I'll be Annie Edison-Winger and you'll be Sophie Ariel Edison Winger. We'll all be Wingers!"

Sophie smiled at this and looked back and forth between Annie and Jeff, who was hunching down to gauge her reaction, a look of slight trepidation on his face. Annie's heart cracked a little as she noticed it. To her complete unsurprise and yet relief, Sophie nodded and reached for Jeff, letting him pick her up and hold her.

" _We ALL Win-ars!"_

"Yes, sweetie! Yay!"

"Yay!"

" _Yay!"_

Full on smiling now, Jeff pointed to a piece of paper that while completely informal given he couldn't technically adopt Sophie just yet, was still meaningful. Annie looked down at the words written on it:

This is to certify that Jeffrey Tobias Winger adopts Sophie Ariel Edison, henceforth to be known as Sophie Ariel Edison Winger. The signed indicates her acceptance and understanding of this information.

Sophie Ariel Edison Winger

Witness, Mr. Bear

After signatures were collected, Annie shuffled Sophie off toward the adjoining room, eager to show her the now made up bed with her stuffed animals. She called over her shoulder,

"Can you order me a celebratory Appletini? Your scotch is on the dresser."

Jeff smiled and picked up the phone.

X

X

Troy and Abed arrived a little while later, having thankfully caught a ride with a nice man named Dale who was also staying at the hotel. Abed had used the cab fare Jeff gave him to buy Annie and Jeff a wedding present at the convention, which he hoped would intrigue Jeff to attend the convention with them on Sunday, and also provide them with a ride back down the mountain.

They chatted excitedly about their experience at Inspecticon. Although they would be returning on Sunday for a little while, they had wanted to soak up what they could that evening before devoting their Saturday to the wedding and watching Sophie while Annie and Jeff went skiing. It was part of the deal they made in getting a ride as well as access to the wedding. Abed insisted it would all be worth it for his final film.

Abed was a little stunned as Annie and Jeff shushed them and pointed to a sleeping Sophie on the twin bed and then closed the adjoining door. He heard the loud locking noise and what he suspected was a chuckle from Jeff.

A little while later, he was on his way downstairs to scout tomorrow's location shoot. He eyebrows rose as he passed by Annie and Jeff's room.

A do not disturb sign hung on the doorknob.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, everyone started their day with a hearty breakfast. Troy then played with Sophie outside on the sledding hill while Jeff and Abed went over the details in the small hall in the back of the hotel where they would be conducting the ceremony. Although they were technically eloping and wouldn't be having a reception that day, Jeff thought it important that they have some privacy as well as a small wedding cake.

Plus he made sure to hire a local florist who worked with the hotel on weddings. He scanned the hall and noted with satisfaction the inclusion of purple lilies and other assorted flowers, including a red rose he planned to present to Annie at the end of the ceremony. He knew she'd melt at the sight of it, and he was surprising himself that he was completely okay with giving her flowers.

More than okay actually. He was almost giddily anticipating her reaction. He supposed that was true love.

"Jeff? Come back to me here. We need to talk lighting."

Jeff swatted away Abed's snapping fingers and frowned at the camera. With a groan, he tapped it and said, "You are not allowed to film the actual ceremony."

"That's okay, Jeff. I've worked it out with some stand-ins."

"I'm sorry?"

Abed cocked his head and explained, "I've hired some actors to play you and Annie when I film the reenactment of the ceremony. While they certainly can't pass for you guys in the front, I'll keep the camera focused on their backs."

Jeff nodded and pursed his lips. He supposed as odd as this whole thing was, it wouldn't really matter in the end. They'd have their privacy for the actual words. For some reason that felt important to him.

He suddenly looked up and asked, "Would you be willing to snap us a photo afterward? I think Annie would really like it."

"On it."

X

X

Jeff's heart swelled as he watched Troy escort Sophie down their little aisle toward the podium. She looked adorable in her pink sparkly dress and shiny silver shoes while holding a small bouquet of flowers. He almost laughed out loud as he realized she was wearing her Dora the Explorer backpack, out of which was protruding her bear who was wearing a tie. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss as she continued to hold onto Troy's hand. Jeff was relieved that Troy was wearing a matching grey suit to Abed's. He recognized both as from Shirley's wedding in the spring.

Jeff felt Abed pat his back.

"Stay with me, Jeff. Annie's about to enter."

Jeff turned and looked into the camera. He smiled tightly and then motioned for Abed to cut.

"You said I'd get to film her coming down the aisle."

"Fine. But then turn it off until we're done."

"Cool cool cool."

Troy and Sophie stopped at Jeff's right, and then Troy hoisted Sophie up to his side so she could get a better view. Jeff leaned over and gave her a kiss on her forehead. He then turned to watch Annie peak her head into the hall. She smiled at him and then stepped inside.

He felt his heart thump as he took in the sight of her very Annie-esque bridal ensemble. She sported a knee-length ivory colored and airy dress likely made of chiffon (he knew his fabrics), lace trim along the capped sleeves and hem. As he expected, she didn't wear a veil but had a couple white roses arranged in her hair, which was half pinned back. His eyes went to her shoes, which he noted with intense amusement were sensible dark purple ballet flats.

" _Mama, you a pwincess!"_

Annie laughed as she blew Sophie a kiss and then gracefully made her way down the aisle. Jeff couldn't take his eyes off her, noting her own were sparkling as she held his gaze.

She came up to his side and they took hands and turned toward Abed, who then put down his camera and took out his notes.

The ceremony proceeded in a surprisingly straightforward manner, with Abed sticking to his script. They exchanged mostly traditional vows, but added in a few of their own.

Annie handed her bouquet to Troy and they exchanged rings, tears welling in both their eyes.

"Anna Elizabeth Edison"

"Jeffrey Tobias Winger"

"I take thee Annie to be my lawfully wedded wife. You are the most amazing person I could ever imagine sharing my life with. I'm the luckiest person in the entire world. I love you."

"I take thee Jeff to be my lawfully wedded husband. You make me feel whole and loved and I adore you and I want you to see yourself the way I see you. I love you."

Abed then cleared his throat and said, "In a slight departure from tradition, we now conduct the part of the ceremony where we recite the adoption vows so that this family can be joined together. Jeffrey Tobias, do you take Sophie Ariel Edison to be your daughter? Do you promise to love her and cherish her?"

Jeff, turning to take Sophie from Troy, answered, "Yes, I do."

"Do you, Sophie, take Jeffrey Tobias Winger to be your Daddy?"

" _Yeeeeess!"_

There was laughter and smiles all around.

"And do you, Anna Elizabeth, concur with this adoption and agree to allow Jeffrey Tobias Winger and Sophie Ariel Edison adopt each other and thus be father and daughter?"

Annie, who was now crying softly, replied, "Yes, I do. I couldn't be happier."

Abed nodded. "By the power invested in me by the state of Colorado and the World Wide Web, I now pronounce you a family. You may kiss the bride and there may be a family hug."

The marriage license was signed with purple pens.

X

X

At the end of their morning, they all had a festive lunch followed by skiing for a now official husband and wife Jeff and Annie and sledding for Sophie and Trobed. Annie stopped after her first round to discuss the matter with Jeff and they both decided to abandon their skis and join the others in a mildly thrilling sledding adventure on the sledding hill. Afterall, they wanted to spend the rest of the day as a family.

That night, they all had a light dinner and tucked Sophie into bed. Troy and Abed agreed to keep their noise down and use their headphones to watch a movie on their laptop. Once again, Jeff raised a brow and closed the adjoining door, locking it firmly in place.

After placing the do not disturb sign on the hallway door, he waited for Annie on the bed. She emerged from the bathroom wearing a silky white slip. He grinned and patted the mattress, and she came over and sat down next to him.

"Mrs. Edison-Winger, you are beautiful." He ran his hand through her hair and blushed.

She batted her lashes. "Why thank you, Mr. Winger, my _husband._ "

She tilted her head and added, "We're married."

"I still can't believe it."

"I suppose nothing's changed?" She looked up at him coyly.

He chuckled as he twisted his wedding band, which he was still trying to get used to wearing. "I think everything's changed."

They began to kiss slowly, eventually making their way upward on the bed. In the process, Annie assisted Jeff in the removal of his jacket, tie, and pants. They deepened their kisses as Jeff pulled the slip over Annie's head and tossed it on the floor.

"Milady."

"Milord."

After some more preliminaries, they proceeded, Jeff slipping inside her.

The prophylactic box remained unopened on the nightstand.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On their way back, Annie and Jeff agreed to enter the Inspecticon with Troy and Abed. Sophie needed less convincing, as she was intrigued by whatever her uncles found amusing.

Jeff frowned at the plastic Thoraxis statue and put it into the glove compartment.

"Let's just get this over with."

Troy was giggling at his phone. "Professor Duncan is such a dork. He only tweets pictures of his meals. But THIS…" He held up the phone so they could see a picture of Ruffles with a smiling Britta at her side, "is adorable!"

Abed began to push him toward the convention center.

" _Wuffles! I miss her._ "

"We're going to see her soon, sweetie."

Annie held Sophie, and they made their way into the building.

They wandered about for a few minutes, Jeff seemingly intensely bored as Abed and Troy giddily showed them the highlights. Annie smiled politely and was amused that Sophie seemed to find the whole experience fascinating. Abed handed Sophie her pink hoodie and insisted she put it on, and he pulled the hood up over her head.

He said, "To keep you safe from the Blorgons."

She giggled.

Annie leaned in to Jeff and whispered, "Happy Birthday, by the way."

"It's not my birthday yet. Two more days."

"I know. But originally this was going to double as a birthday trip for you."

"Hey, this is even better. Now I won't forget our anniversary."

She grinned and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss, lightly smooshing Sophie in between them.

Spotting a giant Thoraxis poster, Jeff turned toward them all and said,

"Get your phones ready because you're only seeing this once."

They were astounded as he jumped onto a small platform and announced to all present, "Bow before Thoraxis!"

Everyone else gasped and obediently prostrated themselves on the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the way back to Greendale, Jeff made an important call.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear. How are you?"

"Sooo…..the thing is…. Annie and I eloped yesterday. We're married."

"How very nice, dear."


	21. Family Systems

**Chapter 21:** **Family Systems**

Summary: Annie and Jeff share their news

"Sooo…..the thing is…. Annie and I eloped yesterday. We're married."

"How very nice, dear."

While initially flummoxed at his mother's nonchalant reaction to their life-changing news, things quickly clicked into place.

Jeff had put his mother on speakerphone, as he had wanted to have Annie part of the conversation, and the fact that he had done so provided him with useful information.

His first clue was Troy's low whining in the backseat. His second hint was his mother's odd humming noise she made when she was attempting to be tactful. The third and clinching moment was Abed's eerie silence.

He shot a look back at an unreadable Abed and then his eyes went to the camera equipment piled in the third row. He turned to Annie and noticed she was staring straight ahead at the road but was gripping the steering wheel in a way she usually reserved for getaway fried chicken vans.

He cleared his throat and then asked, "Mom, did you hear what I said? Annie and I are _married_."

His mother's voice rose ever so slightly as she exclaimed, "Congratulations! That's just wonderful news. I'm so happy for you two."

Troy, now hunched over his knees, screeched, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Jeff shot another look into the back, this time directly at Abed, who was watching the interplay between Jeff and Annie.

He then pursed his lips, turned back around to face the front of the car and said, "You knew."

There was a long pause before his mother replied, "Now please don't be upset, dear. It was an accident. I'm delighted at the news."

"Did you watch?" He hated that he needed to ask the question. Part of him was silently hoping that he had a complete misreading of what he guessed transpired. He awaited her reply.

There was a very slight pause before she said, "Of course. And while Troy explained to me that he didn't mean to live broadcast it, I must say I found the whole thing just lovely. I'm very happy I got to see my son and my now daughter-in-law get married. And darling little Sophie, she looked so excited."

Jeff glanced over at Annie, who smiled tightly and made eye contact briefly before turning her attention back to the road.

She managed, "Dorie, I'm so sorry we didn't invite you. We didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, actually, so we…"

-"Oh dear, please don't worry about that. I completely understand you two needed to do this. Dear Troy explained it all to me after he realized what happened, and I know you wanted to marry quickly so that everything would be easier for Sophie. Part of me always suspected the two of you would go off and elope." She added with a hint of smugness, "You'll recall, I did mention it once when you were in the early days of your courtship."

There were a few beats of silence and Annie and Jeff took in the information. She didn't appear to be upset, but it was difficult to tell how hurt she might be when they couldn't read her nonverbals.

Jeff cringed slightly and said in a low voice, "Mom, I wanted to you there. But we just couldn't."

There was another pause before she reacted, "Of course not. Then you'd have to invite Annie's parents."

Jeff noticed Annie let out a long breath of what he suspected was relief. He was relaxing as well, thankful that his mother understood. They had faced a dilemma in working out a small wedding, and it had seemed so much easier to just go ahead without any family. Of course that was before they had decided to take along two members of their Greendale family, one of which apparently inadvertently shared their intimate event.

With growing alarm, Jeff turned to the back.

"Troy."

Sophie was patting Troy's arm, her brows furrowed in concern. She cast one glance at Jeff and then turned back to Troy.

" _Id okay, Daddy need nap."_

Troy instantly resumed his rocking and exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, Jeff! I was supposed to click the yellow button but I accidentally clicked blue!"

"I'd like to point out this wouldn't have happened if you'd let me bring Pavel."

Jeff shot Abed a look of annoyance and then turned his focus back on Troy. He said, "How did this go to my mom?"

Stopping to wipe his eye with one hand while holding onto Sophie's with the other, Troy replied, "Abed told me to save the video for his film, but we were going to edit together something nice to send to your mom. We were going to ask you guys first. But then…"

-"Did it go to anyone else?"

Troy's eyes widened and he began to bite his knuckle with a low whimper.

Abed waived his hand in the air and addressed Jeff, "We had a list for the final video, figuring you two might have some regrets over not having your loved ones see your big day."

"Who was on the list?"

Abed cocked his head. "Your mom, Annie's mom and brother, the study group, Nancy, and the Dean."

"Jesus Christ, Abed."

"You're welcome. I made the executive decision to omit Annie's father because he's terrible and Professor Duncan because he's terrible. I didn't have Thanos or your cousin's emails because they refused to give them to me, but you will be happy to know I also did not send it to Kevin, for obvious reasons. Or your nemesis Leonard."

Jeff nodded vigorously as he absorbed the news that their intimate ceremony had been likely shared with half of Greendale by now. He sighed and then turned back to the front seat.

Annie gasped. "Oh my god, my mom! She's going to be….Oh, I don't know how she's going to be!" She began to emit a series of sharp breaths.

Jeff reached out and placed his hand on her leg, doing his best to be comforting and not distracting.

As Troy's whimpers ebbed, a voice on the phone piped in, "I think the whole ceremony was beautiful. Thank you, Troy. A mother should see her son take this big step."

"Mom, I'm sorry. We missed you."

"I know, dear. Would it be possible for me to have a permanent copy of the video? What's it called…."? Her voice faded out as it sounded as if she was leaning away from the phone.

"Mom, I can't hear you."

There was the faint sound of a man's voice, "Download." His mother then spoke more clearly, "That's right, a _download_? I couldn't do it from the live feed. It just played."

Jeff exchanged curious looks with Annie, whom we was grateful was now breathing somewhat normally. He asked, "Mom, is there someone there with you?"

Her voice raised a tad as she replied, "Um, yes. I hope you two don't mind, but Buzz also watched the ceremony with me. He happened to be here when it began playing. Why, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have known how to watch the thing. You know how I am with technology, dear."

Jeff did not miss the slight tremble in her voice as she finished speaking. He also caught the sound of a squeak from Annie.

Keeping his eyes on the phone, he said dryly, "Fabulous. Hi Buzz."

A gruff voice replied, "Congrats."

X

X

Much to their relief, it turns out everyone else had ignored Abed's live feed, given it was a Saturday during fall break and everyone had something better to do. It took a little while for them to figure it out, but when Jeff sent some stealthy texts, no one seemed to understand to what he was referring, and no one had mentioned anything on social media.

Finally convincing himself that no one but his mother and Hickey had viewed the ceremony, Jeff let out a sigh and allowed his upper body to go limp.

Annie smiled over at him. "Everything's okay. No one else watched."

"Thank god."

By that time, Troy had calmed down and was engaging Sophie in a puzzle game. Abed, however, seemed particularly perplexed.

"I don't understand it. Why would everyone ignore a live feed?"

Annie patted Jeff's hand to stop him from answering and replied, "I think everyone was just busy, Abed. They didn't know it was our wedding. Dorie says the notification said, 'Location Shoot.' It's likely they thought it was something that could wait. Plus it is fall break."

"It said live feed."

Jeff let out a groan and turned his head around to face Abed. He said through clenched teeth, "No one is jumping to watch the weird things you send out. Goddammit, Abed, I explicitly told you that we didn't want everyone to see it."

Abed shrugged. "It was a mistake. But at any rate, what is the difference between a live feed and people actually being at the wedding? You and Annie were originally planning for everyone on my list to attend."

Jeff paused to consider this a moment, exchanging a look with Annie. She bit her lip and hunched a shoulder before resuming her focus on the road.

He said, "I know it might be difficult to understand, but the more we thought about it, the more we realized we wanted those moments to be just between us."

"So you're mad that your mom saw it?"

Jeff took a moment to consider the question. While initially enraged, he had calmed down considerably by now and was finding himself glad his mother had been there in some way. Part of him had been feeling guilty about keeping her away from the ceremony, and he supposed now he didn't have to worry about that aspect anymore.

"I guess not."

"So we're okay?"

"Yes, Abed, we're okay. And Troy, I'm sorry I snapped at you, but you took me by surprise. Next time something like this comes up, and I hope it doesn't, please tell me right away."

"No problem, man. I'm sorry, guys."

Annie smiled slightly into the rearview mirror. "It's okay." She then furrowed her brow and asked, "Hey Abed, you didn't just live stream it, right? There's a recording?"

"Yes."

"May we see it later?"

"Of course. I shot it for you. And for my film."

Jeff did his best to push down the thought that Abed's explanation for the so-called mistake didn't make a lot of sense. While he wasn't an expert in live broadcasting, he suspected that recording and saving something for editing didn't involve using an email program. He made a mental note to ask Troy later what exactly were Abed's instructions, and failing to get a straight answer, to proceed to wring Abed's neck.

X

X

Once back in town, they dropped Troy and Abed off at the dorms and headed over to get Ruffles. After discussing the matter, they all got out of the car and knocked.

Britta opened the door with a grin. "Hey Sophie! Welcome back! Ruffles missed you so much, but we took good care of her!"

Sophie, who was in Jeff's arms, instantly squealed and smacked her hands over her face in delight. Britta reached for her, and Jeff acquiesced, handing her over. Annie and Jeff followed them inside, exchanging nonverbals about how to best go about sharing their news. They figured starting with Britta and Ian would be the easiest since it would be in person, and they'd take care of the rest later. Jeff still wasn't quite sure what Annie's plan was for telling her own family, as she kept deflecting from that subject.

Jeff took Annie's hand and gave it a squeeze as they entered the living room. Britta and Sophie were already seated on the floor, with Ruffles licking Sophie all over her face.

"Hey!" Jeff couldn't help himself from recoiling slightly at the display.

Ruffles' head perked up and she woofed once before trotting over to them. Annie and Jeff instantly bent down and began nuzzling her. Ian, sporting a bright red apron, came out of the kitchen mixing something in a bowl.

Jeff smirked at the sight of him and stood, allowing Annie to continue to greet Ruffles. He asked, "Baking?"

"We're making frittatas."

Jeff nodded as if this was the most usual experience, but his mind was elsewhere. He supposed telling Ian wouldn't be such a big deal. And if anyone would understand unconventional things, he assumed Britta would, although he was still alarmed at her grasp of all things matrimonial.

"Thanks for taking care of Ruffles."

Ian continued to stir his eggy mixture as he said, "Of course, Jeffrey. She's been such a good classroom helper this semester, why we got along swimmingly."

" _She a good doggie?"_

Ian nodded and stepped little closer to Sophie. Eyeing her over the top of his glasses he answered with utmost calmness, "Why yes, Miss Sophie, she was a very good doggie. We took her to the park every day." He began to make his way back to the kitchen before Jeff placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Annie and I have something we'd like to tell you guys."

Britta turned toward Annie with a questioning look, and Annie smiled as she stood next to Jeff and took his hand.

She said with a squeak of excitement, "Jeff and I eloped!"

Britta gasped, "You did not! Shut up!"

Annie shook her head and began giggling as she held up Jeff's hand so that Britta and Ian could see the wedding band. Jeff smiled slightly and nodded. He still wasn't used to wearing jewelry, but so far the weight of the band seemed to provide him with some sense of reassurance that he hadn't imagined the whole thing.

Annie jabbered on, "We're so sorry, guys! We decided not to wait, given some things with Sophie and everything. We thought it would be best to do it now, and we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so we feel a little bad about excluding everyone. Oh and Abed technically married us because he became an internet minister and of course since he was there Troy was there and we needed a witness, and the only reason Abed was there was because he figured it out so please don't hate us and be happy and I swear we'll throw a nice party! We love you guys!" She ended with clenched teeth and darting eyes.

From her spot on the floor, Britta shook her head and let out a low laugh. "I cannot believe this."

"Britta?" Annie's eyes widened in concern, her lip now quivering.

"Oh hell, Annie, I'm not mad." Britta shot Sophie a big smile before looking up at Ian with a glare and saying, "You called it. I guess I owe you ten bucks."

Jeff turned around to stare at Ian who merely shrugged.

He let out a low laugh and then asked, "You placed a bet?"

"Well, after you told us about the.." Ian glanced over at Sophie who was now seated in Britta's lap and, pausing to consider his words, then continued, " _developments with the court_ , I had a hunch, especially err when you told us you were taking Miss Sophie with you on a supposedly _romantic_ weekend getaway."

As she gave Jeff a light swat, Annie exclaimed, "I told you that people would figure it out!"

He began to chuckle and glanced back and forth between Ian and Britta. "You guys aren't upset?"

Ian scoffed, "My goodness, Jeffrey no."

"You ignored Abed's live feed?" Jeff addressed his question to Britta, remembering that Abed's aggressive dislike of Ian precluded him from receiving the link.

Her eyes widening in realization, Britta gasped, "I didn't know that was…oh my god! You mean we could have watched? Not that I care for that sort of thing you know, but…"

" _Tit-ta, I und Mama mawwied Daddy!"_ Sophie grinned at Britta and gestured between her and Annie.

Annie looked up at Jeff with a sly smile, her cheeks turning pink.

Britta laughed at Sophie's disclosure. "Did you? That's cool."

Sophie nodded. _"I hab pwetty dwess und I mawwied. Und Mama pwincess too."_

"That sounds about right."

At that moment, Kevin peeked his head around the corner from the kitchen. Jeff noticed to his amusement that he was wearing a matching red apron to Ian's.

Kevin said, "Hey guys, welcome back! What's this I hear about you eloping?"

Jeff shrugged and attempted placed his hands in his pockets before Annie reminded him they were still attached. He replied, "Yeah, we decided to just get married."

"Congratulations. I wish I could have been there." Kevin bowed his head slightly and looked up at Jeff with sad eyes.

Jeff felt Annie's squeeze and then her yank on his hand. He bent down so that she could whisper something into his ear.

He rose and said with resignation, "Abed filmed the entire thing. We will arrange a viewing party some evening, and you guys can all see it. Are we good?"

Annie did a little bounce in excitement.

"Why Jeffrey, that would be simply smashing."

X

X

After the successful sharing with Britta, Ian, and Kevin and a lunch of amazing vegetarian frittata, Annie and Jeff steeled themselves to inform the rest of their friends. Britta and Ian took Sophie and Ruffles on a walk while Kevin took a nap, and Annie and Jeff were left in the living room. Annie took out her phone and made a call to Shirley, steadying herself against potential judginess. She then put the phone on speaker.

"What is it, honey?"

Annie sat next to Jeff on the couch and leaned into his side.

"Jeff and I have something to tell you. Is Andre there? We'd like to share this with him, too."

"Why of course….Jordan, do not defy me again, young man! Put your brother down! For the sake of the lord….Sorry An-nie! Andre…get in here, An-nie and Jef-frey have something to share!"

Annie and Jeff exchanged looks of encouragement as they waited for Andre to come to the phone. Upon his greeting, they went ahead with it.

Jeff said, "Shirley, Andre. Annie and I eloped this past weekend."

There was a slight pause before Andre said, "That's awesome, guys! Good for you!"

As Andre chuckled, Shirley piped in, "Oh my! You're married?"

Annie said, "Yes, Shirley. We're married!"

"Thank the dear lord in heaven!"

x

x

"So that was all surprisingly anti-climatic. No one seemed that scandalized." Jeff rolled his head around on the headrest as Annie buckled Sophie in the backseat.

"I don't know. Pierce seemed a little disappointed."

"That's because he wanted to walk you down the aisle. You weren't going to let him do that anyway."

"I know, but still…"

"Annie. He's fine."

She smiled slightly, and after making sure Ruffles was also secure, closed the door and joined Jeff in the front seat. As she buckled herself in, she said, "I think us having a viewing party helped appease everyone. I'm pretty sure we let them think we intended to broadcast it, Jeff."

He shrugged. "So?"

"You were mad at Abed, but it turns out Troy accidentally pressing the wrong button saved us. No one thinks they were being excluded."

"I have a theory on that, by the way. The hell this was accidental."

"You saw Troy's reaction! He was really upset."

"Not Troy. Him I believe. Abed's up to his antics again. I'm fairly certain he was going for some sort of sitcom hijinks episode."

"Leave him alone. He married us, remember?"

Jeff rolled his eyes but then allowed Annie to take his left hand. She began to trace her index finger over his wedding band and appeared deep in thought.

Finally she said, "I'm sure we'll get plenty of an earful when we tell my mother. A live feed probably won't be good enough for her. She won't be okay with not being present."

"How did you want to go about that exactly?"

Annie let out a long sigh. "I don't know. She's already upset that my father's coming to town on Thursday."

Jeff let out a long and slow breath, considering all of the events that were about to transpire. He supposed in the scheme of things letting everyone know they were married wasn't nearly as big of a deal as Annie's reunion with her father. In the excitement of everything, they hadn't been discussing it much. It was also easier not to.

He said, "I might regret this, but maybe we should just go by and see her."

Annie bit her lip and nodded. "That would probably be better than the phone. Plus I want to tell Anthony at the same time. I hope he understands."

Jeff groaned. "And we need to work things out with Anthony for later this week, too. I'm thinking he should stay over Wednesday and Thursday nights so that we can minimize some of his…well, you know."

Annie sighed. "I know. I've been trying not to think about that. I hope everything goes okay."

He studied her concerned face, knowing this was not easy for her. Annie's relationships with her mother and brother were complicated enough, but the prospect of seeing her father in person after ten years had to be even worse. He couldn't imagine what he would do if he saw William Winger after all these years. But he supposed he couldn't compare them completely since at least Annie's father didn't beat his family.

He wondered how much emotional neglect differed from physical violence and rage.

At that unsettling though, he attempted to distract her. He flashed her a smirk. "Hey, now that we're alone as a family, I'd like to just say I'm really happy we're married."

She once again blushed. "I'm happy too."

He looked down at their now entwined hands and said in a low voice, "I know we haven't really discussed it _explicitly_ , but I just want to make sure about the wedding night… and um, the night before that…."

He trailed off as he flashed back to the past weekend and how they had gone up to 'practice' in their room after Trobed returned to the hotel the night before the wedding. While the box of prophylactics was in plain view, when he had started to reach for them, he had looked into Annie's eyes with a raise of his brow and an unspoken question. She had turned her head to the side and regarded the box for a moment before turning back to him.

 _She whispered, "I'm okay if we stop practicing."_

 _He caught his breath and then leaned down to kiss her. As they pulled apart, he studied her. At her sweet smile, he relaxed the tense muscles in his face and nodded._

 _Her smiled broadened and she asked, "Really?"_

" _Yes, milady. Let's do this."_

On the actual wedding night, they didn't speak about it at all and proceeded.

Although Jeff knew they had agreed, part of him just wanted to be sure. He looked back to Annie in the present moment and noticed her blush was deepening.

She leaned her cheek against the headrest. "I'm good. Are you?" Her brow suddenly furrowed in concern and she began to scan his face.

He caught that and, after a gulp, said, "Absolutely. I just wanted to check that you were."

"Yes, I am."

"Good." He paused before asking, "So, um, I guess that means we're actively trying then?"

She shrugged. "We're seeing what happens. We don't have to get all weird about it."

"Like charting cycles and all that stuff?"

She stifled a giggle. "No. I just think we should see what transpires."

"But what if we…." He glanced into the suspiciously quiet backseat and saw that Sophie was asleep, her head rolled to the side and drool dripping down her chin.

Annie followed his gaze and they both smiled.

She said, "I don't think we should worry about it."

He whispered, "But I don't know if I can."

She shook her head. "Let's not go there right now. Please." She looked up at him with an encouraging expression.

He leaned in to give his wife a kiss.

X

X

After confirming Rachel and Anthony were home, they pulled into the driveway. Annie gently roused Sophie and unbuckled her, then picked her up while Jeff clicked the leash on Ruffles and exited the car.

Glancing up at the stunningly conventional house façade, Annie said, "I don't know how to do to his."

Jeff placed his arm around her, and they proceeded to the door.

X

X

After settling Sophie in with some coloring books at a small red plastic child's table and chair that had appeared in Rachel's living room since their last visit, Annie and Jeff sat across from an edgy Rachel.

"Did you have a nice trip?" Rachel flashed an overly wide smile and crossed one leg over the other, kicking up her stiletto.

Annie's eyes went to her mother's foot and she frowned in thought before looking back up.

"We did. Actually, we want to tell you about it. And Anthony. Where is he?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "He's in the garage."

Jeff tilted his head as Rachel explained, "He's practicing his drums. God, I can't stand that racket." She then glanced down at Ruffles, who was still leashed and sitting by Jeff's feet and added, "What an interesting creature." She grit her teeth slightly on her last words.

"I'm sorry to bring the dog in your house, mom, but we didn't want to leave her in the car since it's so cold."

"Nonsense. I haven't met it yet anyway. Woofers, was it?"

"Her name is Ruffles."

" _Yah, Bubbe! Id Wuffles!"_

Rachel instinctive shirked as Sophie suddenly appeared by her side with a stubborn expression. She then didn't seem to know what to do as Sophie proceeded to get on all fours and snuggle her head and arms around the dog. At Ruffles' licking of Sophie's face, Rachel outwardly cringed.

Annie waived one hand in the air, and said, "She's fine."

"It's licking her _face_."

"Mom."

Rachel turned. "Jeff, it's licking her _face_. Please do something." Her eyes pleaded with him, and for a moment he felt very strange.

To be honest, he wasn't that thrilled with Sophie getting dirty at anytime and usually had an instinct to wipe off all the dog slobber once they were done with reunions, but Annie was the one, even with her usual focus on tidiness, to let it go. It occurred to him that this was again one of Annie's tendencies to defy her mother. He knew her mother never did let her have a pet.

In response, he scoffed, "Oh, I'll make sure she's cleaned up in a minute. They missed each other."

Rachel arched her brow. "You took Sophie with you?"

Jeff watched Annie rise and walk out of the room, Rachel stiffening as she passed. He replied, "Um, yeah."

"But didn't you two go skiing?"

Jeff moved his hand over his scruff and said, "We made some modifications. It actually has to do with what we wanted to talk about with you and Anthony." He leaned so that he could see over her shoulder toward the kitchen entryway where Annie had gone.

Rachel followed his gaze and said, "She went to find her brother. The garage access door is back there."

"Ahh."

They waited in awkwardness for a couple minutes, Jeff sharing, to what he was sure was a completely disinterested Rachel, some facts about Ruffles and then them both reacting to Sophie's utterances about her dog and Ian's crabs.

" _Dey wed bud dey not fuwwy."_

"I'm sorry, sweetie. What's not furry?" Rachel leaned forward and regarded Sophie with intense confusion.

" _Dey tawk to Wuffles und dey pway."_

Jeff snickered. "Oh, she's just talking about some odd crustaceans my friend was forced to adopt."

Ignoring any topic of crabs, Rachel sat back up and asked, "Speaking of adoption, when is that happening?"

Taken slightly aback at her abrupt shift in stop, Jeff managed to reply swiftly, "We can talk about that later." He indicated with his head toward Sophie, hoping Rachel would understand that Sophie didn't need to be a part of that conversation.

Rachel nodded in comprehension and then mumbled, "I'm very sorry. My daughter doesn't tell me anything."

Jeff let out a sigh. "She will."

"Oh really? In what year?" She narrowed her eyes and leaned back against her chair while lightly petting Ruffles who had come over to rub against her leg. Sophie was pleased that her Bubbe and doggie made acquaintance and sat down on the floor. Rachel proceeded to absentmindedly run her fingers of her other hand through Sophie's curls.

Jeff was saved by the reemergence of Annie with her brother. Jeff nodded his greeting as Annie pulled Anthony over to a chair and pushed him down. Sophie ran over to him with a squeal as Ruffles wagged her tail.

Anthony bent down to scoop up Sophie into his lap. He said, "I missed you, Sophie. I wish they let me babysit you while they went on vacation."

Annie smiled tightly. "Actually, we took Sophie with us."

Rachel said, "So Jeff tells me. What on earth for?"

Annie and Jeff looked at each other and then took hands.

Stiffening her posture into one of resolve, Annie said, "Mom, Anthony. We eloped!"

Instantly, Rachel straightened her spine even further and removed her hand from Ruffles and placed it on her chest. Although cuddling with Sophie, Anthony shot Annie a surprised look and then turned toward Jeff, his mouth opening slightly. Jeff smiled with closed lips and nodded.

"That's right, we're married."

"I thought you wanted me at your wedding, Annie!"

Annie closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself and then opened them. "I'm so sorry, Anthony. We found out it would be legally advantageous to get married sooner, for Sophie's sake, so we thought eloping would be the easiest way. We didn't do it to exclude you."

"But you did."

Annie tilted her head. "I feel really bad about that. But we didn't have anyone there other than a friend who married us and a friend as a witness."

"I could have been a witness."

Annie wiped a tear from her cheek. "Anthony, I'm so sorry."

Jeff watched her almost devastated expression with alarm and piped in, "Anthony, we didn't mean to hurt you. We needed to make some quick decisions and if we had invited you, well then we'd have had to invite my family, and then it would have…"

Anthony cut him off. "You mean you'd have to invite our mom. No, I get it." He turned toward Rachel and said with venom in his voice, "See? You ruined this too."

Rachel gasped, "Anthony!"

He continued, "Now I didn't get to go to my own sister's wedding. Because she didn't want _you_ there. And I wouldn't want you at my wedding either. Not that I'm ever getting married. Cause you made dad leave because he couldn't stand being around you so yeah I pretty much know marriage is stupid."

Annie abruptly stood and Jeff followed her lead. He then went over and motioned for Sophie, thankful that Anthony seemed to understand and handed her over without protest.

"Come on, munchkin."

"Jeff, could you please take her and Ruffles into the kitchen?"

He stared at Annie for a moment, surprised that she wasn't about to have them leave. He asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want to talk to my brother and mother in private."

He nodded and obeyed, catching that Rachel was still sitting with a steely expression on her face but was now staring at the far wall, her foot jerking upward. He headed for the kitchen, silently thankful that they would likely be leaving shortly.

He managed to occupy Sophie with his phone, pulling up a YouTube clip of Sesame Street for her before edging toward the doorway to catch the ongoing conversation.

"You are not to talk to me like that, young man."

"I'll talk to you how I want to."

"Anthony, Mom, please. I just told you both that Jeff and I got married. I'm really happy, and I'm sorry if either of you has hurt feelings about it. We wanted to be married."

"I'm happy for you, sweetie. You know I adore Jeff."

"Thank you, mom."

"But is it true you didn't want me specifically at your wedding?"

"Mom, I… I don't know."

"I thought we were better, sweetie."

"Not _that_ better. I didn't want to be upset on my wedding day."

"Upset? I would have cheered you on."

"I didn't want to think about you that day, to think about anyone else other than me, Jeff, and Sophie."

"Yeah Annie, the word you're looking for is _selfish_."

"Yes, Anthony, I was being selfish, but you know what? I don't care. I wanted to marry my husband because he loves me and I love him. And yes, I didn't want mom there because we still have some things to work out, and to be completely honest I didn't want you there if you're going to be all surly with me."

"I'm _surly_ because you didn't invite me to your wedding."

"And I didn't invite you because you're always talking about _mom_!"

"I talk about her because no one else understands, Annie! She's crazy!"

"Anthony!"

"I don't care, mom, you are. I know it, Annie knows it, and dad knows it. That's why I'm going to see him on Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll go live with him."

"Oh, so we're really going to discuss this now, is that it?"

"Stop it, both of you!"

At this point, Jeff had enough and marched into the living room to find Annie looking irate and standing with her hands on her hips. Rachel was sitting primly in her chair with her back turned away from Anthony, who was in the middle of an active pout.

"Annie, let's go home."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, _my husband_."

X

X

Finally arriving at the apartment, they let Sophie run off toward her room with Ruffles and then plopped themselves down on the couch. Jeff leaned over and placed his arm around Annie, pulling her into his chest.

"That was terrible." He sighed.

She sniffed. "Yeah. It's kind of what I figured would happen."

"Hey, they'll get over it."

She shifted to look up at him. "Oh, I'm sure they'll get over the elopement. It's everything else that makes me so _sad_."

"Sad? I thought you were angry."

"No, Jeff. I'm very sad. They're my family."

He let her cry softly into his chest, and his mind began to spin with all sorts of concerns about Thanksgiving. He couldn't imagine having Anthony present, seeing how his orneriness and lack of support affected Annie that afternoon.

"We could cancel Thanksgiving."

"No. I want to see my dad."

A thought occurred to him. "When do you want to tell him we're hitched?"

"I'll call him later. I don't have the energy right now."

After consoling her some more, they were interrupted by Sophie offering them some pretend coffee and cake and needed to shift their focus.

A little while later, Annie called her father and chatted with him briefly, informing him of their marriage. She didn't divulge the details to Jeff, but she seemed relieved that she had checked that item off her to-do list.

Jeff sat across from Sophie at the dining table, watching her with amusement as she scribbled pictures of what she told him was Ruffles and Bubbe. He smirked as he handed her a red crayon so that she could draw the shoes. He then glanced up and saw Annie watching them with an unreadable expression on her face.

She plopped down in a chair in between them and asked, "You like your Bubbe?"

" _Yah. Bubbe funny."_

"She is, isn't she?" Annie smiled slightly and then looked up at Jeff and said, "I think things will be okay with my dad. He gave us congratulations." She then froze her half smile and took out her phone.

"That's great, Annie. But what are you…?"

She sighed. "We need to tell Holly, dummy! We almost forgot!"

"Crap."

Annie cast him a stern look and he recoiled slightly as his eyes went to Sophie who thankfully appeared engrossed in almost tearing up the paper as she aggressively added the red shoes to her masterpiece.

"I'll call her."

Annie tilted her head. "You will?"

"Of course. I told her we were engaged, didn't I? I am perfectly capable of telling my family."

"You mean _our_ family now, my sweet husband."

He chuckled at this, and they put Holly on speakerphone. It seemed to be the thing they did today.

"You're married? Oh my god! Congratulations!" Holly's voice almost squealed.

Sophie piped in, _"We mawwied! I mawwied Daddy und Mama!"_

"What did you say, Sophie? I don't think I understood."

Annie laughed as she moved closer to the phone. "She says she married me and Jeff."

Sophie proceeded to nod as she picked up a purple crayon for Ruffles' nose.

"Oh, that's adorable."

"Well, we did have her as an active participant. We even had a mini-adoption ceremony with her. Of course the real one won't be for a little bit, but it will be soon."

"That's great."

Jeff interjected, "Hey Holly, we hope you understand why we eloped. We realized it didn't make any sense to wait, and we'll probably have a court date in January for the rest."

"Got it. No worries."

Jeff then narrowed his eyes as he added, "So hey, my mom obviously knows, but would you mind telling your parents for me? They aren't a big fan of me these days so I'm not going to waste my time in calling them up."

Annie squeezed Jeff's hand in sympathy as Holly replied, "I'm on it."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know, they aren't fans of me either right now. They really liked Matt and they think I could have done more to make it work."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It sucks when your parents are jerks."

X

X

After making the hassle-free call to Holly, Jeff noticed that although she was doing her best to conceal it, Annie was standing in the kitchen and pressing her thumb into her forehead.

"Headache?"

"Yeah."

"Temple massage?"

She sighed. "No, thanks though." She then turned to face him and added, "I need to tell Nancy."

He furrowed his brow. "But that'll be easy." At Annie's hesitation, he added, "Wait, she does like me, right? I mean I could have sworn that she was psyched about us getting hitched."

Annie chuckled slightly at his caution and said, "Yeah, she thinks you're okay."

"Then why do you seem upset?"

"I just have a stress headache. But it's not from Nancy." With a sigh she continued, "I'll call her, but I'd prefer to do it privately, if that's all right."

"No speaker?"

"I need to discuss something with her. About my dad."

"Sure."

He backed away and let her go back into their bedroom and shut the door.

X

X

Annie emerged about a half hour later, this time seeming more genuinely relaxed. She shared with Jeff that Nancy was thrilled for them and agreed to share the news with Ryan, stating that they would all get together soon to celebrate.

Having then perked up, she made Jeff assist her in the official reveal.

"Oh god, you're gonna make me do this?"

"Yes, Jeff. One – two- three!"

They changed their relationship status on social media and sent out a tweet.

"Surprise! We eloped! Much love to you all and pictures to come soon!"

And then another:

"We're MARRIED!"

Annie snapped a pic of their entwined hands with rings and sent that out.

Jeff chuckled and they kissed, finally relaxing as they both settled back into their own little world. Their elopement was a nice reminder that they had a pretty cozy and safe family unit, one thankfully absent of drama. Jeff figured he was a pretty lucky guy.

Sophie squealed as she regard the picture of their hands on Annie's phone and was in the middle of asking Annie to take a picture of her hand when they were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

Jeff sighed and rose, calling over his shoulder, "Hey, let's order in tonight, okay? Make things as easy as possible."

"Sounds great!"

He opened the door and was treated to the sight of the Dean, who was gasping for air.

"You two are _married_?! Oh my word, how did I miss this?!"

Jeff smiled tightly. "Yeah, it's official. Look, I know you probably wanted to be there but…"

He was stopped by the Dean clasping him around the chest, face burrowing into his side.

"I'm just so happy for you guys!"


	22. Advanced Home Economics I

**Chapter 22:** **Advanced Home Economics I**

Summary: Annie prepares for her father's visit

The next few days went by quickly as they celebrated Jeff's birthday, Jeff making the request that they keep it low-key this year. Per usual, he talked to his mom on the phone for a few minutes and then made the traditional trip with Sophie to see Lauren.

Annie looked up from her preparations for his birthday dinner and grinned at the sight of him returning with a perfectly coiffed Sophie and an added spikiness with what she suspected were subtle highlights in his own tresses.

They had a quiet evening at home, still relaxing since they were on their fall break. Jeff even let the Dean come by for dessert, and Annie was the one who actually physically shooed him out when they were finished. At her inquisitive glance upon her return, Jeff explained that he wasn't that annoyed with the Dean since the guy seemed genuinely thrilled about their marriage.

"He's not that complicated, Annie. God, we need things to be more simple." He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head while giving her a tentative smile.

She nodded in sympathy, fully knowing that the upcoming days would not be the easiest. She walked over to him, and taking a quick glance at Sophie to notice she was absorbed in licking the remaining frosting off her plate, turned her attentions back to Jeff and stepped in between his legs. She smiled almost shyly down at him and patted his chest. After a hint of surprise in his eyes, he smirked up at her and removed his hands from where they cradled his head to place them on her hips.

She bent down and gave him what she liked to think of as her seductress kiss. She didn't dare tell him she named it that, as part of her thought he'd make fun of her. Plus she relished it as a secret she kept; she knew a sweet soft peck on the lips followed by an affected pulling away with lingering eye contact and then resumption of sweetness led to a parted lip and quick flash of tongue that never failed to pique his interest.

As she lifted her head post tongue, she heard his breath catch and knew they were on the same page.

She said in an almost whisper, "Happy birthday."

His face twisted for just a moment as he regarded her, his thumbs pressing a little firmer into her thighs.

He gulped and said, "Happy birthday to me."

She laughed and glanced over at Sophie, who was now watching them with a look of frustration on her face.

"What is it, sweetie?"

Sophie sighed in exasperation. _"You stop kissy kissy, Mama. I wanna more cake."_

Annie arched a brow as she heard Jeff begin to giggle behind her. She was conscious of his left hand moving down her right thigh. Pushing down her inappropriate desire to jump his stupid sexy bones right there, she affected a stern tone.

"Sophie, we don't demand cake. What do we say when we want cake?"

" _Pease? I lub you Mama. You so pwetty."_ Sophie's eyes grew ten times larger in size as she tilted her head and regarded her with an adorable intensity while reaching for her bear, who was sitting on the table to her right and wearing a tiny birthday party hat Jeff had picked up somewhere on his way home.

Annie bit her lip as she heard Jeff's giggles transform into outright guffaws. Yet his hand ventured on, the damn sexy bastard.

Grabbing his hand to still it, and with a slight squeak, she replied, "You can have a little more, sweetie. I'll go get you a piece."

" _Dank you. I lub you Mama."_

"I love you too."

As Annie attempted to disentangle herself from Jeff's busy hands, he grinned and leaned up slightly. At the wiggle of his eyebrows, she rolled her eyes and then moved her head down so that they could have another quick kiss.

Instead, he whispered in her ear, "Maybe soon she'll go to sleep and we can get to work on making greedy cakehobber number two."

She smiled against his lips and nodded.

" _Ewww! Pease? Daddy, you wan more cake? I get you some. Let me go."_

X

X

Given her anxieties about her father's visit, Annie knew what she needed to do. She could only talk to Jeff so much about it before she felt guilty, knowing that he had no relationship with his own father. While she didn't think he intended her to feel that way, she was always conscious of putting too much on him. She was aware that he was also fretting about Thanksgiving and how to be useful and supportive. She let him know that the best thing he could do was to make sure Sophie was settled and to give her and her father some space later on when Sophie went to bed.

The day before the holiday, she decided to attend an NA meeting with Nancy. They left baby Elizabeth in the care of Ryan, Jeff, and Sophie. She wished she could have taken more pleasure at the sight of Jeff volunteering to do the main Elizabeth duties for the afternoon so that Ryan could attend to some things around the house. While she appreciated his sly smile as he picked up the baby, her mind was mostly elsewhere.

"You wanna tell me what that was about?"

She turned to Nancy, who was motioning for her to close the car door. She almost absentmindedly obeyed and uttered, "Huh?"

Nancy elaborated, "Jeff and my baby. He's never gone for her right away like that. He usually has to be almost tricked into holding her, or at least it feels like it sometimes." She paused to consider something, and added with a frown, "Not that he's bad with her, but he always seems a little freaked out."

Annie chuckled as Nancy shook her head and started up the car. She then divulged, "We're thinking of having a baby."

"Really?" Nancy's eyebrows shot up and she pressed on the gas so they could exit the parking garage. She began to smirk and added, "So you decided to do the marriage thing and baby thing all at once…huh."

"Is that a bad idea?" Annie bit her lip, perhaps more than a little concerned at the thought that her sponsor and friend might disapprove. Although she prided herself on successfully making a series of difficult decisions over the past four years, part of her remained insecure about her judgment when it came to family. Things felt so right with Jeff, yet her stomach sank at the possibility that Nancy would think they were rushing things.

To her relief, Nancy rolled her eyes and said, "No. If you guys want to have a baby, that's great."

Annie almost imperceptibly sighed with relief. "Good, because we already started trying."

"Seriously?" Nancy glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

With a shrug, she elaborated, "It just seemed like there was no reason not to. I've told you we wanted Sophie to have a sibling at some point, and I think it's a good time for me to be with the baby while I'm at Greendale." She took a deep breath and then said, "I feel ready for this."

Nancy nodded and then hummed in thought for a little while. Annie wasn't sure what she was thinking, feeling more than a little vulnerable at the present time. Part of her knew having a second baby at age twenty two/twenty three might seem ridiculous, but she couldn't explain why it made sense to her. She busied herself by looking out the window.

After what seemed like almost an eternity, Nancy merely said, "Please just let me know if you get overwhelmed. I'm here for you."

Annie turned, her mouth half open in surprise. She asked, "You don't think we'll be able to handle two children?"

Nancy pursed her lips but with a hint of bemusement, her eyes crinkling for a moment before she replied, "If I know anyone who can handle two kids, it's you and Jeff. Heck, you guys could probably handle a bunch. I swear despite Jeff's attempts at _perfected flippancy_ , he's got Sophie on a regimented schedule," she paused and then added with a wry smile, "no doubt due to your influence. You're a natural."

Annie smiled at this as Nancy continued, "I was referring to this whole thing with your dad on top of the baby thing and adoption thing. It's all good, Annie, but it's a lot."

Annie nodded and silently resumed her stare out of the passenger side window.

X

X

Annie didn't even flinch when Alan showed up the NA meeting. While somewhat surprised he had returned, she didn't want him to get in the way of her purpose for being there. In order to avoid complications, she stuck to her mission of discussing her father and omitted Jeff's name. She doubted Alan had any clue that she and Jeff were together and although she certainly wasn't ashamed of that fact, she didn't need the added pressure of dealing with the fallout from that right now.

When it came to her turn, she took a deep breath and announced, "I'm going to see my dad on Thanksgiving, and it's been ten years."

Various members offered their comments:

"Oh, you poor girl."

"That's rough. I saw my mom after she took off when I was a kid, and it was really hard."

"You can do this. Make sure you have people who love and support you on speed dial."

Annie smiled slightly at the support she was receiving in the moment, in her weird little group outside of study group. While at times strangers would show up, as it was an open meeting, the same core ten people seemed to stick it out. She hadn't been back in a few weeks though, as she had honestly been doing pretty well. Or at least she thought she had been. In the back of her mind, she was having an urge to escape again, feeling a familiar lethargy falling over her at the thought of seeing her father. She knew she wouldn't go back to using, but the people in the room appreciated more than anyone how it felt to have complicated relationships with one's emotions.

She leaned forward in her chair and placed her chin in her hands, furrowing her brow in thought. "Thanks guys. I guess I'm mainly worried that this will be our last chance and that something bad will happen that will ruin it."

"Something bad? Like what, Annie?"

She shrugged. "Me. I think I'm a disappointment to him."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he left me."

She didn't even try to stop the tears that followed.

X

X

Annie thought about what everyone had said in the group, minus Alan who hadn't been that helpful, although she was surprised he seemed to at least be listening and feigning interest. He did end up sharing that he was trying to get his act together for the sake of his new relationship; apparently he was seeing a woman he had met through a dating app and things were getting more serious.

She contemplated her support network for Thanksgiving, and while Jeff would be there, he would also be attending to Sophie, and then probably Anthony to some extent. She realized it was too much to put on him.

She needed to call in her girls.

Shirley expressed an immediate interest in helping her figure out Thanksgiving dinner. She had been coaching her about it leading up to fall break, but Annie realized she was woefully unprepared to cook an entire turkey and fixings.

After greeting her with a warm hug, Shirley exclaimed, "Congratulations again, honey. I'm so very happy you and Jef-frey are mar-ried."

As they pulled out of the embrace, Annie said, "Thank you." She then added with a slight frown, "I so sorry again that we didn't tell you. Ideally, I would have wanted to you be there."

Shirley shook her head and regarded her with warmth, which surprised Annie given Shirley's tendency to feel slighted. Shirley said, "Please don't worry about that. The important thing is you and Jeffrey are bonded in holy matrimony. I've slept soundly since you told me."

Annie inwardly tensed at the backhanded reassurance, but decided to let it go. There was probably no changing Shirley in regard to her religious piety, so she decided to focus instead on the fact that her friend was here to help her on what she was realizing was likely one of the most challenging days of her life.

At the awkward moment, Britta interjected, "Hey, no worries Annie. Shirley and I can throw you a bachelorette party anyway. Every lady deserves one."

Annie smiled over at her and then pulled her into a hug. "Thank you. I'd really like that."

Britta mumbled with the hint of a smile, "Sure."

Shirley stepped over and stood in between them, her hands on both their shoulders. She leaned in with a grin and said, "This is so nice! Everything is perfect!"

Annie and Britta exchanged bemused looks, but both of them were clearly touched. Shirley then added, "And even Jeffrey seems like a changed man. Why, he volunteered to babysit baby Ben next week so Andre and I can go out to dinner."

Annie raised her brows in surprise, for this was news to her. She wondered when he had called Shirley. She asked, "He did?"

Shirley nodded, her expression morphing into one of befuddlement as she said, "But he did refuse to look after Jordan and Elijah. I thought that was a little rude, but I guess free babysitting is a blessing, I shouldn't over think it."

Annie shrugged apologetically. "Shirley, I…"

"I know my two oldest aren't the calmest. I'll put them somewhere."

Annie stifled a laugh as Britta shot her an inquisitive look and opened her mouth to say something but stopped.

Shirley, hands on her hips, then surveyed Annie and Jeff's kitchen, declaring a state of semi-emergency before scuttling off to the store with Britta and returning with an assortment of added supplies and a proper baking pan.

Britta repeatedly scoffed as she unloaded the bag of flour and other lighter items, such as spices. Annie noticed with amusement that Shirley did her best to ignore Britta's utterances and was busying herself by propping open her cookbook.

"Now An-nie, you will need to make a decent stuffing. It's the highlight of the meal."

Britta crinkled her nose in disgust as she peered over Shirley's shoulder at a photo of a turkey. "I thought the murdered bird was the highlight."

Shirley turned and smiled serenely. She said in a sing-songy voice, "The stuffing can make all the difference from a boring everyday turkey to a glo-ri-ous one."

Britta made a gagging motion but then stopped short under Shirley's glare. She then shrugged and said, "Sure. Hey, what gives in you devoting all this time to helping Annie?"

"Whatever do you mean, Brit-ta?"

Britta squinted her eyes in an attempt to see through Shirley's demeanor, which seemed to be affected cheeriness. She clarified, "I mean I know why _I'm_ here, since being practically a psychologist I'm helping Annie prepare for her cathartic reunion with her estranged father…" Annie bristled as Britta continued, "But why you? Don't you have your own Thanksgiving dinner to prepare?"

Shirley narrowed her eyes for a brief moment before she affected a more neutral expression. "Andre's prepping the turkey for me."

"Really? I find it hard to believe you trust him with that. You're a control freak, Shirley."

At Britta's accusation, Shirley clenched her teeth and swiveled back to the recipe. She placed her index finger on the paper and made a show of examining the instructions, muttering to herself as Annie and Britta exchanged concerned looks.

Annie waived Britta off and stepped forward, gently placing her hand on Shirley's arm. She smiled slightly and said, "Please tell us what's wrong."

They waited for several long moments as Shirley continued to stare intently at the recipe. Just as they were about to reconsider their strategy, Britta silently mouthing something unintelligible to Annie and gesturing wildly toward the door as Annie squinted, Shirley appeared to snap back to life.

"Andre's family is umm, a bit chal-len-ging."

Annie and Britta both moved in and formed a half huddle with Shirley, who began shaking her head as she said, "Lord, I knew marriage was hard, but when did I pledge to entertain that man's family while my mother and sister won tickets for a cruise?! And Andre's grandfather is the devil!"

"Jeez, Shirley, that sounds rough. But look, Andre can like run interference or something, right?"

Shirley turned toward Britta and said, her eyes growing larger, "That's just it. He's not going to be there for the meal."

"Why on earth not?"

"He has a sale at his stereo store. He says he needs to sell more or we'll be in the red by the end of the year."

Britta glanced over at Annie, who was in the process of rubbing Shirley's back. She then locked eyes with Shirley and announced, "Never fear, therapist Britta is here."

At that moment, Jeff and Sophie's heads peered around the corner, Sophie's head inches away from Jeff's since he was holding her. Although slightly amused by their sneakiness and what appeared to be a chef's hat on Sophie's head, Annie silently mouthed for them to hold off. To her relief, they promptly retreated.

Shirley was staring at Britta. "Oh, dear Lord, you are not allowed to play family therapy with me and Andre's family. I swear I will kill you. Don't mess with me," She then added with a lilt and a fake smile, "Brit-ta."

Britta scrunched up her face in response. "Fine. That's actually not what I meant. I'm going to be here with Annie…" Annie's eyes widened in almost horrific realization as Britta continued, her face softening in the way it did when she thought she was being particularly helpful, "but I had another idea. You should invite the rest of the study group over. I know for a fact Troy and Abed have a disaster happening in our kitchen right now and frankly they could use a buffer since Abed's still mad at Troy for turning on the hair dryer this morning when Troy knows perfectly well Abed hates that noise and frankly I'm not sure why Troy turned it on anyway since he's growing out his dreads and you do _not_ use a hairdryer on those babies…"

"Britta, can you please speed this up? I have stuffing to make."

Now gesturing dramatically for some attempt at emphasis, Britta continued, "My point is, you have Troy and Abed come over and I guarantee you everyone will have a much more interesting time. And you should ask Pierce too, because Gilbert has the flu and after disinfecting everything Pierce sequestered him in the east wing. Or it may have been the west wing, but I'm not sure because Troy had me watch that last night and I may have mixed some things up." Her eyes gleaming with manic intensity, she finished with, "so Greendale four represent! It's the perfect solution, Shirley!"

Jeff and Sophie peaked back around the corner and Jeff silently mouthed to Annie, _"What the hell?"_ She merely clenched her jaw as she addressed Britta.

"Um, Britta, while I appreciate the offer to be here with me, I don't think you should stay."

Britta waived a hand at her while she continued to regard Shirley. "It's no problem, Annie. I don't mind." Annie gasped and exchanged panicked looks with Jeff as Britta addressed Shirley, "Now, I have a good idea, right? You don't deserve to be alone with Andre's family. And creepy Pierce can keep the devil grandpa occupied."

To Annie's surprise, Shirley began to nod slowly while massaging her chin. She then looked up at Britta's pleased face.

The decision was made.

Ruffles entered the kitchen to scrounge for morsels. There had been a lot of talk about food.

X

X

After Shirley had helped set up the ingredients and provided everyone with specific instructions, she hugged Annie and then excused herself. Annie let her out of the apartment, giving the Dean a wave as he happened to be opening his apartment door at the time. At his appearance, Shirley beamed and shuffled over to him.

Annie softened at the realization that Britta's idea made a lot of sense. There was no reason Shirley should be miserable on a holiday, and she deserved to have her friends around her. If she included the Dean, then it was sure to be a more uplifting occasion. As incompetent as he could be with administrative work, he always did have a flair for group bonding and general optimism.

Annie closed the door and made her way back into the kitchen, taking note of the adorableness of Sophie standing on a chair in her hat and matching apron as Jeff provided her with instructions.

"That's right, munchkin. Mix."

She smiled as Jeff assisted Sophie in stirring a flour mixture while placing a growling kiss on her cheek. Ruffles happened to be sitting underneath Sophie's chair, her tail wagging in anticipation.

Sophie giggled. _"I mix! I do it! I cook like Mama und Daddy!"_

Britta smirked while she continued to chop carrots. "That's right, Sophie. You cook your little heart out. When you're done with that, I'll show you all the yummy things you can make with vegetables."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "We don't have time for that. We have to get a dinner ready. Annie's dad's flying in this morning."

"They'll be plenty of time. You need side dishes, right? See, we've got spinach…"

-"I'm not eating spinach on Thanksgiving."

Ruffles looked up at Jeff and cocked her head, waiting for him to drop something.

Britta gasped. "You're a health freak. Don't tell me you're seriously going to eat buttered mashed potatoes with that disgusting gravy?"

Ruffles moved over to Britta and affected her most adorable stare.

" _I like cawwots."_

"Good, Sophie. And carrots will take good care of _you_."

Jeff swaggered a little in place, if such a thing were possible, and retorted, "I'll have you know that I allow myself a little indulgence once in awhile, such as Thanksgiving. Plus this meal is very important to Annie since her father will be coming."

" _Yah, Tit-ta. Gwanpa come. I can't wait to see him."_

At Sophie's words, Annie took in a sharp breath. Jeff and Britta had stilled their movements and become fully aware that Annie was standing there and Sophie seemed to have a very good idea of what was going on.

Their assumption was confirmed as Sophie elaborated, nodding with a sense of satisfaction, _"Mama miss Gwanpa. He her daddy. Und we make food so he und Mama eat und they hug. Swirley don't like her gwampa but id okay cause Troy und Abed un Gwampa Peas help. Swirley need hug too."_

Annie felt Jeff's eyes on her but couldn't bring herself to take her attentions away from their daughter, who was blissfully stirring and now singing some unintelligible tune. She felt the tears flowing down her cheeks and instantly began to wipe at them, stifling the urge to engage in a full on sob.

"Annie?"

Jeff's concerned voice hovered near her but she could barely hear it. Sophie looked so peaceful and sweet. She then felt Jeff's arms around her. She turned to look up at him, aware her eyes were likely bright red.

He was regarding her with concern. "Everything's going to be okay."

"I hope so."

She relaxed as she allowed him to hold her, knowing that no matter what, she had a pretty amazing family of her own. She felt him kiss the top of her head and sensed that he silently mouthed something to Britta before hearing him say aloud,

"I think Mommy's tired. I'll put her down for a nap."

" _You go nite nite Mama?"_

Jeff answered for her. "Yes, Mommy's going to go sleep for a little bit. I'll be back in a few minutes. Listen to Aunt Britta."

" _Okay."_

She allowed him to escort her to the bedroom and as she flung herself down on the bed, she heard the door close. She then felt him sit on the mattress and turned her head so that she could see him regarding her with intense concern.

She managed, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. This will be a difficult day."

She turned her whole body to face him and was pleased when he also lay down next to her with his head lining up with hers. She felt reassured by his arm on hers and his voice.

"You don't need to prove anything to him."

"I'm not trying to do that."

He paused to consider his words but then asked, "Aren't you? The turkey and the dishes…"

-"It's my first time cooking for Thanksgiving." She sniffed and was aware that her voice had waivered. She wondered if she was trying to convince herself.

He sighed and said, "You don't have to be perfect. Nothing about this situation is your fault at all. You know that right?"

She hesitated for perhaps a moment too long and then replied, "Of course I do."

He reached over to pet her hair, letting his fingers feather through it from her scalp to the ends. She liked the sensation, for it calmed her and she knew that he was doing his best to demonstrate that he loved her.

He then said, "I spent years thinking I had done something wrong. My dad hurt me and then he left. But now I know that it was all him. No child deserves what he put me through, and you did nothing to deserve your dad leaving. What he did says a lot about him and his priorities but absolutely nothing about who you are." She sniffed as he continued, "I've said this a million times by now, but I'm going for a billion at least. You are amazing, Annie Edison," he paused as he added with smile, "Winger."

She found herself mirroring his expression in response. "Thank you. I know."

His smiled continued as he asked, "When are you going to change your name, anyway?"

"It's kind of a hassle, Jeff, but soon."

"You still want to? Because it's okay if you don't. I'll be fine."

"I want to. I very much want to." She nuzzled her nose against his.

X

X

Jeff startled as Rachel pushed an immaculately groomed Anthony into the apartment. He had the sense it wasn't so much that Anthony needed prodding to enter than Rachel wanted to make sure _she_ could come inside. He flashed a smile and moved back, motioning them both in. He caught Anthony's scowl at his mother but then quick acquiescence to her entering.

After Anthony took off his coat, Rachel grabbed it from him, absentmindedly handed it to Jeff and then brushed some imaginary lint off Anthony's shoulders and straightened his tie.

"You're looking very handsome today, my son."

"God, Mom. Stop."

"You are. You're so grown up. I'm proud of you."

Jeff placed Anthony's coat on the rack and watched while Anthony rolled his eyes in embarrassment as Rachel smiled sweetly up at him. He was struck by how awful things had been merely days ago between them, yet here Rachel was making sure Anthony was okay. Of course he knew she was likely feeling threatened by the re-emergence of Paul Edison. He caught a glimpse of what he suspected was fear in her eyes as she continued to regard her son.

He stepped forward and said, "Hi Rachel. Happy Thanksgiving."

She took one last concerned look at Anthony and then turned toward Jeff with a brighter smile. "Jeff. My son-in-law. I'm very happy to say that, and I'm sorry that we weren't more enthusiastic the other day. Please forgive us." She stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug. As they pulled out of it, Jeff motioned for her coat, but she shook her head. "I don't think I'm supposed to stay. Even _I_ know that." She let out a short nervous laugh. "Where's my daughter?"

"She went to meet him."

Rachel took in a sharp breath and placed her hand lightly on the chest of her still buttoned coat. Her eyes widened as she said, "But I thought he wasn't coming until dinnertime."

"He's not coming _here_ until then. Annie wanted to meet up with him at his hotel first so they could get some of the awkwardness out of the way. They'll be here around five."

Jeff looked over at Anthony, who was nodding in understanding. Jeff knew Annie had briefed her brother earlier, asking him if he wanted to come with her to meet their father, and Anthony had indicated he preferred to see him again at the apartment. Jeff guessed he shouldn't have been surprised that Anthony hadn't clued his mother in. He didn't think constructive communication was the family's strong suit.

Rachel appeared to take in what he had said and then closed her eyes for a few moments. At the sound of Sophie thumping down the hallway, she opened them and turned with a squeal and her arms open wide.

"Where's my sweetie?"

" _I here, Bubbe!"_

Jeff felt his stomach flutter at the sight of Rachel awkwardly crouching in her expensive coat to greet Sophie at her level. Ruffles had followed and was wagging her tail and watching them. Sophie smiled ecstatically and buried her face into Rachel, who promptly wrapped her arms around her as she tottered on her heels.

" _I lub you, Bubbe."_

"I love you too, sweetie."

Sophie pushed against Rachel, who released her and continued to balance herself so that she could talk with Sophie.

Sophie smiled at her and exclaimed, _"You mama mama."_

"That's right. Your mother is my daughter."

" _You Uncle An-tony mama?"_

"Yes, I am."

"Hi Sophie. I'm here."

Sophie's head whipped up and she squealed once again. While Anthony and Sophie reunited, Rachel carefully rose, Jeff offering his arm as assistance, and her gracefully accepting it.

Within a minute, Rachel said her goodbyes to Sophie and Anthony and after they had run off toward the living room with Ruffles, Jeff began to escort her out. Once Rachel made it into the hallway, they stood facing each other.

Rachel's former cheerful expression morphed into somberness as she said, "You're welcome to come over to my house when it all goes wrong. I won't have a turkey, but we can order a pizza. See, I'm trying to be chill these days."

Jeff bristled at this, amazed at Rachel's tendency to make the most blunt statements. He let out a long sigh of exasperation. "Rachel."

"Come on, Jeff. He abandoned his children. You know good men don't do that."

Jeff steadied himself as he said, "He and Annie have been talking for well over a year now. I think they can work this out."

She tilted her head in thought for a moment before she asked, "Have you ever talked to him?"

He was almost taken aback by the question. It had occurred to him on more than one occasion that it was a little odd he and Paul had never spoken. Even Sophie had chatted with him in her own way over Skype. But he had never wanted to push the issue with Annie, and if he had to be honest, he didn't really trust himself not to give Paul Edison an earful of how furious he was with the way he had treated his children.

He answered, "Well, actually, no I haven't. But he's talked to Sophie and that seemed to go okay."

Rachel affected a momentary tight smile and then said, "Paul's always been a bit _insipid_. You'll see."

After taking a glance back inside, Jeff pushed them both into the hallway and closed the door softly behind him. He then leaned against it and crossed his arms and said, "I hardly think him being in your opinion _boring_ means anything in this case."

"Insipid means _lacking vigor or interest_. Another definition is _lacking flavor_." Rachel stepped closer and raised her chin in what looked like defiance but Jeff wasn't sure that was what she actually meant to convey.

He couldn't help the smirk forming as she recognized the very Annie tendency of providing startlingly accurate definitions. He was too late in realizing that he wasn't censoring his expression however, as Rachel stepped even closer with a wide grin and batted lashes. He instinctively pulled up his head. No matter what she was going to do he still had a good foot on her in height.

To his relief, she wasn't making a pass. She was preening.

"Why Jeff, you do understand, don't you? He's so awful. I used to think he was _interesting_ as in _cerebral_. The thing is, _he_ thinks he's intensely interesting, but really he's a damp rag."

"Rachel…"

In an unnerving moment, she lightly swatted him as she said, "You get it, I know you do. He's so full of himself, which is fine and all for someone to have confidence if they are _something_ , right Jeff? But if they're not, then it's pathetic."

Jeff closed his eyes for a moment before he resumed eye contact. She was looking up at him triumphantly.

He managed, "I still fail to see why any of that has to do with Annie and Anthony seeing him again. My hope is this all goes fairly well, even if it's a little awkward."

Rachel bit her lip in thought and then said, "How do I explain…" Her eyes flashed back up at him as she continued, "Paul has the uncanny ability to make you think he's hearing you but then he thinks he's so goddamn brilliant he ends up coming across as condescending. You don't notice it at first but it sneaks up on you. It's because he makes you feel sorry for him, so that you don't challenge him."

"Sorry for him?"

"You'll see."

"Look, I get that you and Paul had a terrible marriage, but let this happen. His children need to figure out their relationship with him themselves."

Rachel let out a quick laugh before she said, "Oh, I'm not interfering. I could if I wanted to you know. I'm not the one who left them."

Jeff was conscious of something burning in his chest. He tried to hold it back and merely said, "Rachel."

She scowled. "I know Annie's told you I was an awful mother. Maybe that's true, but I was still _there_."

He had enough. He let the words tumble out, "Until you left Annie at the hospital and pregnant."

She stared at him in disbelief, but he didn't regret saying it. He needed to tell at least one of Annie's parents how much he was upset with them. It might as well be Rachel.

"Ouch."

He added simply, "She needed her mother."

Rachel stilled for what seemed like minutes but Jeff knew was likely a split second. She then said in a soft voice, "I regret that."

"You do?"

"Knowing what I do now, yes." She was taking a series of deep breaths, but Jeff wasn't all that convinced she understood. He decided to make himself crystal clear.

"How on earth could you think what you did before was okay? And come on, Anthony said you were going on and on about thinking Annie was _dead_ but you couldn't possibly have believed that. You didn't even try looking for her or you would have found her. She was living above a marital aids store on the bad side of town because that's all she could afford. And she had a tiny baby and she was all alone."

"Jeff…"

-"That's where she was when we met, and I vowed I was going to do everything in my power to protect her and Sophie, regardless if she'd let me or not. Because I know the world's a horrible place, and Annie didn't deserve that. She's amazing."

Her eyes now brimming with tears, Rachel nodded. "Well, you've really been holding that in, haven't you?"

"I've tried, I really have."

"You think I'm a terrible person?" 

He hesitated for a few moments, running his hand over his face before he replied, "I don't think you've treated Annie the best."

She gasped, "I tried! I was there for her when she was little; I even did the whole Period Fairy for her! Her father had left and she needed to feel extra special!"

"I'm sorry…Period Fairy?" Jeff squinted at her, amazed at what he was hearing, as she seemed to be actually incensed that he dare question her ability to mother.

She exclaimed, "I gave her little gifts all the time! I made sure she had everything she needed for extracurricular activities to enhance her college applications so she could be something in this world!"

"She _is_ something in this world."

Rachel startled at this statement and became speechless, which in Jeff's opinion, was a nice change of pace. He affected his lawyer pose and waited for the witness to dig herself in deeper.

After some moments of silence, she looked up at him and took a deep breath. "I know she is."

"Do you?"

"Yes." She then turned away. "I'll go now."

"You could tell her that, you know. I think it might make a difference."

She turned back around and smiled tightly. "Whenever I see her. Please tell her Happy Thanksgiving from me."

"I will."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Jeff. We're family now. Let's be nicer to one another."

"I've always been nice."

She nodded twice before tightening her smile even more. "Yes, you're right. Of course."

He stepped closer to her with a groan. "Rachel, we're fine. All I ask is that you try to repair things with Annie. Tell her how impressed you are with what she's done, what she's accomplishing. Let her know she matters to you. Let her feel wanted and loved."

Rachel gave a slight nod and then turned away again, brushing the side of her cheek. As she began to walk past the neighboring door, the Dean emerged and exclaimed, "Why, it's Mrs. Edison! How good to see you again! Remember me? I'm the Dean!"

Rachel stepped back, her eyes bulging as she took in the sight of the Dean's purple apron dusted with flour.

"Oh, why yes! Hello! You live here?" She continued to scan his ensemble, her hand lightly on her chest.

He grinned as he replied, "I moved in a few months ago. It's such a pleasure to be your daughter's neighbor! Why, it's like we're one big family."

Jeff sighed in resignation but was amused by Rachel's continued perplexed expression and her darting eyes in his direction. He decided she could handle the situation perfectly well herself. He merely said, "Yes, one big _family."_

"Jeff, perhaps…"

The Dean interjected, "Now, Mrs. Edison, what are you up to for Thanksgiving? Surely you're not alone? That will never do."

Suppressing a squeal of delight, Jeff merely waived goodbye and went back inside the apartment.

X

X

Annie entered the hotel lobby, her heart pounding in her chest. While she kept practicing the diaphragmatic breathing Jeff had taught her that tended to help with his own anxiety attacks, she still felt out of control. She decided to take a moment and get some water, feeling a sense of relief at spying a drinking fountain to the right. She leaned over it and took in the cool liquid, closing her eyes and allowing herself to appreciate the present moment.

She didn't have to prove anything to him. All she needed to do was show up.

 _God, what if he's not here?_

She suddenly felt nauseous at the thought, her mind beginning to swirl with scenarios of him freaking out and fleeing or perhaps he had already left. Again.

She opened her eyes and took another long sip before standing upright and giving herself a pep talk.

She didn't need to do anything. He would be here, they would talk. It would be awkward. It would be okay if things were awkward. She could do this.

She still had a nagging doubt that she should have had Jeff accompany her, which he offered, but she supposed it couldn't be helped now. She turned and made her way toward the main lobby.

As she neared, she saw him. He was sitting on the couch near the fireplace.

And he wasn't alone.


	23. Advanced Home Economics II

**Chapter 23: Advanced Home Economics II**

Summary: Annie spends Thanksgiving with her father

xxxxxx

A/N: Warning: mentions of drug use and suicide

This is a MASSIVE chapter. Apologies. I couldn't figure where to split it. Enjoy the tome!

xxxxxx

He wasn't alone.

Her heart sank as she took in the scene of her father sitting on the couch beside a strawberry-blonde haired woman who looked to be in her late forties. She recognized her immediately as Rebecca, his wife. Although they had never spoken, the woman had friended Annie on Facebook and Annie had spent some time scrolling through her father's pictures, so she knew very well who she was.

Her blood pressure began to increase as she quickly thought through what was happening. She had explicitly told him not to bring her, as she had wanted to reunite with her father on her own. She didn't want anything to do with his new wife.

She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, concentrating her efforts on exhaling longer, just as Jeff had taught her. She wondered if it was helping. She then opened her hands wide and wiggled her fingers.

Plastering on a smile, she walked over to them. As she neared, Rebecca looked up and returned her expression while squeezing her father's hand.

They were holding hands.

Annie's eyes widened as her father lifted his head and peered at her through his glasses while appearing to take in a sharp breath. Annie noticed he squeezed Rebecca's hand and, at her prodding, stood.

They were still holding hands.

"Annie." Her father's tone waivered as he glanced up and down, seeming to take in the sight of her.

She didn't know what to make of the situation. She had been so nervous at the thought of seeing him, and then his wife remained close at his side. As her father continued to stare, she felt alarmingly self-conscious. She had made her best efforts to look presentable, affixing her hair in a side barrette, and she was wearing her best mid-length teal dress, black flats, and a light grey wool coat. She sported a heart necklace from Jeff for good luck.

She had never felt more vulnerable, and that was saying a lot after everything she had been through in the past four years.

She noted her father also seemed to take the occasion seriously, as he wore a sport coat and tie. Her eyes then went to Rebecca, who seemed to match Annie's style somewhat in a dark purple sweater and skirt ensemble. She didn't know what to make of that right now, but she did her best to push that realization aside.

She managed with a still wide smile, "Hi Daddy."

The word seemed strange coming from her mouth, which surprised her. She had called him that while Skyping over the past year or so, but it seemed to carry more weight in person.

To her relief, he let go of Rebecca's hand and stepped closer. They both then entered an awkward hug.

As they embraced, he whispered, "My Annie."

She involuntarily stiffened, and was taken aback as she heard him sniff. She had expected herself to break out in sobs, but that didn't seem to be happening. He was the one who was more emotional. She pulled out of the hug and regarded him, noticing his eyes were red-rimmed.

She smiled a little more genuinely, letting her expression soften as she said, "I'm glad you came."

He nodded. At her glance to his side, he stuttered, "I…I'm so sorry…I know you said I should come alone, but I….I just couldn't. I'm so sorry. This is my wife, Becky." He gestured toward his left and Becky cringed a little as Annie turned her full attentions on her.

Becky.

The woman he had chosen over her mother.

The woman he had chosen over her and Anthony.

Annie felt her smile not reach her eyes as she said with as much of a blasé tone as she could muster, "Oh, hi Becky. I'm Annie." She reached over and shook her hand.

"It's good to meet you. Your father has told me so much about you." Annie clenched her teeth slightly and Becky noticed, quickly adding, "He told me so many stories of when you were little, how smart you were, and also all the things you've told him you're up to these days. He's very proud of you."

Annie felt the wave of nausea come over her again. She struggled to remain composed, part of her enraged at the idea that this woman, a complete stranger, was speaking on her father's behalf.

She told him not to bring her. He was _her father_ , not this woman's husband. She retracted her hand and said, "I wasn't expecting you to be here. I wanted this to be just me and my dad."

Becky exchanged frantic looks with her father, who seemed to quickly collect himself and say, "I'm sorry. I was so worried at the thought of seeing you again, I didn't know what would happen, and flying makes me nervous as it is. Becky's been a tremendous comfort to me." He reached over and patted his wife's hand, removing it when he noticed Annie was regarding the action with a stern expression. He then added, "I know this isn't what you wanted. We can talk amongst ourselves if you prefer."

Annie took another deep breath and said tersely, "Yes, that is what I would prefer." She then turned toward Becky and said, "I hope you understand. I haven't seen my father in ten years."

Becky nodded quickly, still appearing to shirk somewhat. "Of course. Paul, I'll just go upstairs."

He turned toward her and placed a peck on her cheek, and she smiled apologetically at Annie and then scurried away. He then motioned for Annie to sit down, and she did, joining him on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Why did you bring her?"

He let out a long sigh as he pinched his glasses. "I apologize. I didn't know….I didn't know if I could do this. She's been encouraging me. And I have a flying phobia. Becky's the only one I can travel with."

The news that Becky had been encouraging him to meet her somewhat surprised her. While she knew it was likely simplistic, part of her had been nurturing the belief that Becky was some evil monster who stole her father away. Somehow that had felt easier than fully acknowledging he had free choice in the matter.

Annie shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. "You could have told me you had trouble flying."

"I thought I could do it…this time." He paused for a few moments before he added in a lower voice, "But then I couldn't."

She closed her eyes to steady herself and then resumed eye contact, noticing he was regarding her with curiosity. It seemed to be an odd choice.

"What do you mean she's been _encouraging_ you? You mean flying? Or seeing me?"

"Both."

She gulped and then asked, "Why do you need cheerleading to see me? I'm your daughter."

He looked down and clasped his hands as he said, "I know I've done a terrible thing."

"Daddy…"

-"And yet you still call me that." He looked up at her, his shoulders hunched slightly as he said, "I don't deserve it. I'm so ashamed."

Although he had expressed his guilt to her before over Skype, she was taken aback by his admission in person. She felt like she was getting emotional whiplash, having gone from nervous to angry at the sight of Becky to almost pity. And then a familiar and deep sadness.

She wiped a tear from her eye and said, "Let's stay in the present. It's Thanksgiving. I'm really happy you came out here; it means a lot to me."

"You are a beautiful young lady. Just stunning."

"Thank you."

"You look like your mother."

She faltered, somewhat taken aback that he mentioned her. She merely replied, "Um, I guess a little?" She touched her hair and felt her the blush in her cheeks.

He nodded as he persisted, "You've always taken after her, but you didn't get her eyes. Those are blue, which comes from the Edisons." He tapped his glasses and gave her a wry smile.

She nodded. "I know. Sophie has the same color eyes."

"She's also a beauty." He paused for a moment and then asked, "I hope I get to meet her in person?"

She relaxed slightly, thinking of Sophie's earlier excitement at the prospect of tonight. She said, "Of course you do. She's really looking forward to it. She and Jeff are finishing up the cooking."

"Cooking? But she's only three?"

"Yes, but she fancies herself a cook. And sometimes a baker. And sometimes Batman." Annie nodded triumphantly, letting a laugh come to the surface as she began to relax a bit more.

He cocked his head and then shrugged. "Batman. Huh."

"She has her own take on the costume."

They sat in silence for a few moments, both pretending to watch the fire. Annie didn't know what else to say at present. Of course she always wanted to know why he really left, but for some reason she could never bring herself to ask. She tried telling herself it didn't matter anymore.

Finally he said, "I still can't believe you're a mother."

"I know." She smiled tentatively and then added, "It took me awhile to figure it out, but I think I've got it down now."

"You're so young. If I had only been here…." He trailed off and kept gazing at the fire.

Annie took another deep breath and then said, "I don't know what would have happened had you been here. I might have fallen for Adam anyway. It was a stupid mistake, but I don't think of Sophie as a mistake. She's my world."

He turned toward her. "She seems like a delightful child. I just never imagined being a grandfather at my age."

At his use of the word _grandfather_ , she felt an unexpected jolt through her body. It didn't feel earned, and she started to inwardly panic that it might never be. She wondered how Sophie would feel about him, how Sophie would be effected if she and her father couldn't work things out.

He seemed to notice her quick breath, his eyes widening slightly as he added, "But everything happened, and we are here right now, together." He paused and seemed to consider something before continuing, "And I haven't forgotten you're married now too. That's also something I'm getting used to."

She could only say, "Jeff's a good man."

"I'm sure he is. I trust your judgment."

She once again had that similar feeling that he wouldn't know a thing about her judgment. Actually, her judgment had been pretty terrible for a while. She wondered why he made that comment.

Deciding to push that aside for now, she said, "He's a really good match for me, and he's ready to be a father."

As the words came out, she noticed his postured stiffened and he resumed clasping his hands. She quickly added, "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean…."

"No. I deserved it."

She gulped and crossed her legs, interlacing her hands a little too tightly over her knee, waiting for the awkwardness to pass.

"How is your brother?"

Although they had discussed Anthony somewhat on their calls, he had never been a main topic of conversation. Their relationship was complicated as it was, and Annie was acutely aware he hadn't seen Anthony since Anthony was seven years old.

Seven. That was so small.

She wiped a tear away and replied, "He's at the apartment, waiting for us. I asked him if he wanted to come with me to meet you, and he said he wasn't ready for that. But he does want to see you. I just think he's a little overwhelmed."

"I don't even know much about what he's like."

She mustered up some energy to offer slightly too rapidly, "He likes music. He plays the drums, and he plays a couple different instruments in the school marching band. He's also really interested in role-playing games…"

-"Role-playing? What on earth is that?"

She prattled on, "It's like a fantasy type thing, where people take on different characters and give them a back-story, and then someone creates a tale where they all have to go on a mission to save someone or find a treasure."

Her father stared at her for a moment, his mouth opening slightly with no sound.

She added, a nervous lilt remaining in her voice, "I played once. It was fun." She annoyed herself with the squeak at the end of her sentence.

"A mission? As in an FBI mission?"

"Well, no, probably not." Deciding this was a futile avenue of conversation, she said, "At any rate, he's creative. And well, he is a bit quiet most of the time, and I didn't see him for three years you know, so I…." She was reminded again of how she had abandoned her brother as well and pushed down the bile coming up her throat as she continued, "I…I've been working really hard on repairing my relationship with him. And he's been open to it, so I think he's open to doing the same with you."

She observed her father's reaction, noting that he continued to hunch slightly. In this moment, she noticed the strong physical resemblance between him and Anthony, if Anthony had grey hair and was a little shorter. She didn't really see herself in him at all, minus the blue eyes.

Even his eyes weren't the same as hers, though. It was only the color. She had the unexpected realization that she had inherited that from him with a proclivity for forensics work, but perhaps little else.

Surely that was fine, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by her father's words, "I'm very nervous about seeing him gain. Little Anthony. How could I have left my son?"

He then turned away and Annie was unnerved as she heard the stifled sobs.

She again surprised herself as she said in a resolute tone, "Bring Becky."

x

x

x

Jeff paced the apartment, picking up various pieces of lint he found and fluffing pillows, which he was aware was a habit he did not have before getting involved with Annie. He didn't really know what to do with himself, as they had finished up the side dishes, the turkey was almost done, and he had bathed and dressed Sophie in suitably adorable orange dress, with clashing pink and purple striped leggings, but that wasn't on him. Sophie had strange tastes and had insisted upon it. It didn't really bother him as much today as it usually did.

Although they had initially been concerned with Britta's plans to stay, he was thinking it might actually be a good idea. She was talking with Anthony in the kitchen and at least that gave him a break from attempting to make small talk with the kid. As much as he tried, he could still never really warm up to him, and if he were honest with himself, he wasn't that sure if he would ever like him. But he was important to Annie, so he did what he knew you were supposed to do in these types of situations and tried to be as accommodating as possible.

That still didn't mean he wasn't grateful for a reprieve.

He heard the jingle of Ruffles' collar as she trotted out of Sophie's room toward him. On impulse, he bent down and scooped her up, carrying her over to the couch. He began to nuzzle her, letting her lick him on the cheek.

He whispered, "You are such a good doggie, yes you are." He felt the familiar sensation of tears beginning to well, which tended to occur whenever he pet Ruffles. He never did like to analyze it much, so he decided to continue to disregard it.

" _Where is Mama?"_

He turned to see Sophie standing in front of the couch with her bear, her eyes wide.

"She'll be back soon." He fished out his phone and silently reviewed the last text from Annie:

[Mrs. Edison-Winger]: We're leaving in about ten minutes. He brought his wife, Becky, but it's okay. I invited her to dinner! :)

Still feeling indignant that Paul had brought his wife yet confused about Annie's reaction, he decided the best thing he could do was be with the two other beings who could ground him. He motioned for Sophie to hop up, and to his bemusement she was already in the process of climbing onto the couch. Knowing it would likely take her a minute, he placed Ruffles to his side and assisted her in making the full transition.

What if the next one were tall?

He stared at Sophie for a moment, taking in her innocence. The poor hobbit had no idea the controversy surrounding her entry into the world. When he took the time to think about it, he'd feel a tightness in his chest, imagining the day when she'd put all the pieces together. He hoped they would continue to have a strong enough bond to weather it.

His thoughts naturally turned to Paul Edison and how he simply moved across the country, leaving his children and not even coming by for a visit in all these years. He didn't have a lot of certainty about anything in life, but he did absolutely know that he could never do that to Sophie or any future children they might have.

He took a moment to appreciate Sophie's pleased expression at being on the couch and the way she pet Ruffles. He was really glad they had gotten her a dog. She needed a dog.

He found himself leaning in and nuzzling Ruffles once again as Sophie chuckled. He then pulled Sophie into his arms and plopped himself flat on his back. As was her custom, Sophie readily pushed her head into his chest. Ruffles was temporarily lost in the shuffle but righted herself on his thigh.

He glanced down to see Sophie sucking her thumb. He and Annie had been talking a lot about that habit lately, wondering how they'd break her of it. In this moment, however, he didn't really see the harm. He always hated taking anything away from her.

He gave her a kiss on her head. "I love you, Sophie."

Britta then peeked her head in from the kitchen. She smiled slightly at the cuddle display and then announced, "They're here."

X

X

Annie stepped into the living room, a man in his fifties by her side and a woman Jeff recognized as Becky following. He had seen pictures of Paul and his wife online, but of course seeing them both in the flesh took on significance.

By the time they had taken off their coats in the entryway, Anthony had joined Jeff and Sophie in the living room and everyone had righted themselves. Ruffles had gone to greet her mistress, and Britta had done her best to engage Becky in awkward chitchat.

Jeff met Paul's gaze and sensed something he couldn't quite articulate to himself. The man appeared almost sheepish in his posture, her eyes barely meeting his before going to Sophie in Jeff's arms and then landing on Anthony.

Jeff smiled at Annie, wondering how she was doing with all of this. As he expected, she was putting on her accommodating Annie face, the one she would often use with the Dean or Pierce. He didn't know how to convey to her that she could rely on him to get through this, that he would be by her side even if he were across the room. He supposed she knew that, but it was still a tremendously heavy moment.

He turned to catch Anthony's expression, which was perhaps not that strangely a one of intense resoluteness. With his new haircut and fresh shave, he seemed like a preppier version of the dear ol' Anthony they knew and loved. He supposed he loved Anthony, right? As much as he had trouble talking to the kid, in this moment he could relate and felt like he wanted to pull him into a hug and tell Paul Edison to fuck off.

Paul cleared his throat and said with a waver in his voice, "Hi Anthony."

Anthony merely nodded in response.

"You're so tall."

This statement was met with a shrug and then to Jeff's surprise, Anthony turned toward him and motioned for Sophie. He handed her over.

Anthony said with an abruptness that was perhaps befitting the occasion, "This is Sophie. She's your granddaughter."

Sophie resumed her thumb sucking and simply stared over at Paul, who met her gaze and gave her a tentative wave.

"Hi Sophie. It's good to see you."

Sophie took her thumb out of her mouth and said, _"Hi."_ Her eyes then went to Annie and she almost shrieked, _"I wan Mama!"_

Annie and Jeff exchanged concerned looks and Annie shuffled over to her and took her from her brother. She began to murmur soothing words to her and then walked back over to Paul and Becky who was now at his side.

Jeff sighed and patted Anthony on the shoulder. He was aware Anthony muttered a swear and sensing the kid was not ready to actually run over and greet his dad, mouthed silently to Britta to attend to Anthony before he made his way over to the huddle. He decided to do the decent thing, even if Paul Edison had never done the same.

He stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Jeff. It's good to finally meet you."

Annie chimed in with a squeak, "Daddy, this is my husband, Jeff! Jeff, this is my dad and his wife, Becky."

Paul shook his hand and they exchanged a few simple pleasantries, Becky also participating, chirping about how their home was so lovely. They offered their congratulations on their marriage while Jeff did his best to maintain his composure. He decided to call back on his jury days, knowing Annie would probably need him to turn on the Winger charm.

He flashed a grin and did his best to use a dry-witted tone as he said, "Welcome to Chez Edison-Winger. Sophie and Britta worked really hard on the vegetable dishes, and Annie cooked an amazing turkey, but perhaps I could interest you both in refreshments? You must have had a long journey."

He caught Annie's grateful look as he ushered Paul and Becky into the living room.

X

X

Things proceeded somewhat more smoothly after that, Paul and Becky each readily accepting a glass of wine. The opening of the bottle gave Jeff and Annie a quick chance for a hug in the kitchen, as well as Anthony to have a few minutes alone with his father.

Well, almost alone. Becky remained by Paul's side, but at her offer to give them space, Anthony declined.

Annie then made an effort to join them while Jeff ran through some things with Britta, and she encouraged Sophie to say a proper greeting to her grandfather. Sophie had warmed up a little more by then, but perhaps sensing the tension in the room, smiled and said hi again to both Paul and Becky and then remained by Annie's side.

In the kitchen, Britta looked up at Jeff and let out a long sigh. Jeff nodded and muttered, "I know."

"She wasn't in my family reunion plan."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "No one asked you to play counselor."

Appearing not to listen to him, she said," But I can work with it."

"Maybe you could keep Becky occupied. That would actually be a real help so that Paul and his children can get reacquainted."

Britta shook her head. "That's not where I'm needed. I think Anthony could really use some help. I was talking to him, and he's full of anger."

"You don't say."

Appearing to miss his sarcasm, she nodded. "He never even had the relationship Annie and Paul had. She was old enough to have had some good memories with him; they knew each other. Poor Anthony barely remembers him, and he's had no real father figure. He's in a lot of pain."

Jeff startled at her words and, realizing more by each second the snowballing intensity of the situation, suddenly felt extremely appreciative of her intrusiveness.

"Britta, please help him."

"I'm on it."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and I have an idea of what to do with Becky, if we need to do something about her."

Jeff arched a brow and waited.

She smiled slyly. "Let's just say there's a place where we can put her if she gets in the way. But let's see how dinner goes first."

Britta continued to grin as she smacked the kitchen wall.

X

X

After a glass of wine, Annie and Anthony not partaking, everyone seemed to relax a little. Britta sat by Anthony and whispered some things to him on occasion, which caused him to frown but then return his attentions to the conversation. Jeff did his best to be the master of ceremonies, asking Paul and Becky some questions about their travel to Colorado, their hotel, and what they did for work. He figured they all needed a warm up, and discussing some quotidian banalities seemed the best way to do it. He was also conscious of the fact that Anthony didn't really know his father, and it might be the least awkward thing to be the one to ask the questions since he didn't know the guy either.

Paul's brows briefly rose as he considered the most recent question. "Work? Well, as Annie might have mentioned, I work for the FBI. As does Becky." He patted his wife's hand and then added, "We both work in forensics."

"In a lab then, not a secret agent?"

To his disappointment, Paul didn't seem to understand he was trying to lighten the mood. Paul regarded him quizzically and merely replied, "No, I am not a secret agent. I do work in a laboratory."

Jeff considered Rachel's description. Insipid? He tried to shrug it off and form his own opinion of the man, but her words and warnings kept echoing in his head. He tried to tell himself Rachel Edison was the last person to trust in terms of being an accurate assessor of others. The woman was way too self-focused to really understand the inner workings of people.

He did, however, realize that while she may lack empathy, she was good at noticing things and describing people.

Paul Edison certainly seemed insipid. He probably would add humorless, but then again he didn't know if this was his usual state. It was hardly a usual situation, and he assumed the guy was nervous as hell.

He couldn't fail to notice Paul's tendency to glance downward, and while at first he thought he was merely averting his gaze out of guilt, he also spied his index finger tracing an invisible pattern in the floor. He took a moment to watch Paul's eyes and noticed they were following a similar path, followed by a brief mutter of something under his breath before he looked back up. This would repeat between each question and answer.

Jeff would have gotten him thrown off a jury.

Jeff scooted closer to Annie on the couch and was about to select a different track when Anthony blurted, "Is that how you and Becky met? At work?"

Paul and Becky both stiffened and exchanged quick looks. Paul then looked down for his little ritual before meeting Anthony's gaze. He replied, "Yes."

"That's cool. Was that here or in Virginia?"

An uneasy silence fell over the room, and it seemed to last for minutes but was likely merely a few seconds.

"Here."

With a triumphant sneer, Anthony said, "Yeah, I know. I asked mom before I came over and she told me."

Paul wiped his brow and said with a slight stammer, "There are things you don't understand about my relationship with your mother. Sometimes people aren't suited for each other, and Becky and I spent a lot of time together and realized we were more compatible. It wasn't something we intended to happen, but we fell in love."

"It's funny how you talk to me like you're my dad, like I should listen to you and respect you, but you just abandoned me. I don't even fucking know you."

Britta ran her hand over Anthony's back, and everyone tensed.

Jeff's attentions immediately went to Sophie, realizing she was absorbing all of this. He knew he had to get her out of here. As he reached for her, Becky stood.

"Maybe Sophie could show me her drawings? I bet she has a lot of drawings." She smiled nervously and addressed her question to both Annie and Jeff.

They looked at Sophie, whose worried expression morphed into one of curiosity as she considered the question. Annie leaned down and said in a whisper, "What do you think? Becky is grandpa's wife, she's Grandma Becky."

" _Gamma Becky?"_

"Yes. I think she'd like to see your artwork. Do you think you could show her?"

Sophie nodded and then glanced at Jeff for reassurance, and he smiled at her. She then handed Annie her bear for safekeeping and turned back to Becky and said, _"Okay."_

They attempted to get Ruffles to follow them, but she refused and plopped herself on Annie's feet, staring straight ahead at Paul.

After they left, Annie brought out appetizers in an attempt to appease everyone. Anthony popped an olive in his mouth and chewed, glaring at Paul the entire time.

Eventually Britta said, "Anthony's really upset that you left him when he was only seven years old. He doesn't remember much about you and I don't think he understands why you left."

Annie suddenly sat up straighter and turned toward her father. "Maybe it would help Anthony if you could explain."

Jeff exchanged concerned looks with Britta, both of them realizing that Annie didn't appear to have all the information either, likely having not pressed the issue in all her communications with her father. The fact that Annie felt she could only ask under the guise of her brother needing help made Jeff's stomach twist in knots. He leaned back and draped his arm over the back of the couch and around Annie's shoulders while scooting closer.

Annie kept her gaze fixed on her father and tightened her smile. Paul seemed to consider her words for a time, letting out a wearied sigh and once again fixing his eyes on the floor, his index finger moving slightly.

He finally looked up and regarded Anthony and Annie for a moment before clearing his throat and saying, "I was offered a huge professional opportunity at headquarters. It meant I would have needed to leave Colorado. I told your mother about it, but she refused to uproot you two. She felt it was much better for you to remain where you knew people, and she didn't want to leave her mother."

Annie tilted her head. "Mom never mentioned that to me."

"I turned down the promotion. Your Bubbe was acting strange, and your mother was worried about her. I understood."

"But you ended up moving away."

Paul nodded. "I don't say this to sound like I'm bragging, but I'm very good at what I do and my skills were in demand. Other opportunities came up. Your mother and I fought about it. We hadn't had a good marriage in a number of years, but we stuck it out, figuring we didn't want to disrupt your lives. She didn't like that I worked long hours, but I needed to. It was my duty."

Annie took a deep breath and attempted to check in with Anthony, but he was starting straight at Paul with an unreadable expression. She then managed, a hint of resignation in her voice, "You wanted the promotion."

"I did."

"And Becky?"

"She understood it was an incredible offer. She understands what I do, and when they offered her a transfer as well, I was too weak to say no. I let my ego and unhappiness get the better of me. I chose to leave your mother, a decision I don't regret and think was rational," he added with a sense of urgency, "but I made a terrible mistake in leaving you two. I never intended to not come back. I planned to visit, and to have you come out to see me."

Annie leaned forward and asked, "Why didn't you come visit?"

"I don't know."

Jeff, who had been working on regulating his breathing and butting out this entire time, had enough. He also leaned forward and placed his arms on his knees, clasping his hands as he said emphatically, "Paul, this isn't a question you can simply answer with an _I don't know_. Annie's been wondering for years why you didn't see her. From what I understand, you were a decent father when you were here. Sounds like you worked a lot, but she's told me she remembers you doing things with her and that you were supportive of her. You owe her and perhaps yourself to really think through and admit why you didn't step foot back in Colorado."

Annie placed her hand on Jeff's knee. "Please, don't…"

-"He's being a little self-absorbed, isn't he?"

"Jeff, please…."

He was about to interrupt again when he saw her tears. He quickly said, "I'm sorry, I'll shut up."

Annie sniffed and looked at her father as she said, "I needed you."

Paul, who was once again in the middle of tracing a pattern in the floor, shot his head up and said, "I am so sorry, Annie and Anthony. I did a terrible thing."

"Why didn't you come back? You need to tell us. And if you _don't know_ please take a _guess._ " Anthony's question gained all of their attention, and everyone waited for a response.

Paul, who had been staring at Annie's tearful face, turned toward Anthony. "I was a coward."

"This is bullshit."

At Anthony's swear, Paul winced. He then said, "I intended to come back to visit. My original plan was to come back in a few months, but as I settled into my new routine, it became more difficult to actually push through my guilt at leaving you two and the pain that I caused your mother. The months dragged on and turned into a year, and by then…" he shrugged and then began patting the side of his chair as he continued, "the whole thing felt insurmountable."

"This is complete bullshit. Come on, _dad_." Anthony continued to sneer.

Paul glanced over at Annie, and noticing her complete lack of eye contact and continued sniffling, said, "I am aware of that fact. I kept telling myself I'd make it right with you two, but after awhile I came to accept that I wasn't a very good father and you two were much better off with a mother who took good care of you."

Anthony let out a loud groan. "Mom's insane."

Paul regarded him curiously. "She's always been a good mother. It's been very important to her. Why, she always prided herself on having a lovely and orderly home. She made dinner every night, even though she worked very hard at her job, and she was the one who always knew your teachers' names and your activities."

"That's not the same as being _loving_."

Continuing to seem puzzled, Paul said, "She was the one who wanted children shortly after we were married." He turned once again to regard Annie and said, "She was positively elated when we found out we were expecting you, Annie. I trusted you would be safe with her. She was a much better parent than I ever was, and I knew she would take good care of you."

At this, Annie snapped up her head and glared at him. Her voice trembling as she said, "I've kept something from you."

"What on earth, Annie?"

"Mom didn't take good care of us. I think she tried, but she fundamentally doesn't understand us. She put so much pressure on me," Annie's voice cracked as she said, "she made me believe that I needed to be perfect and anything less than that she'd be livid. It was too much."

"I'm sure she just wanted the best for you. Your mother has always prided herself on achievement. It's one of the things I always appreciated about her."

Annie opened her mouth and hesitated before saying, "She takes it too far. I never really felt loved for _me_ only for what I could _do_. As long as I did what she wanted, she seemed pleased. It was exhausting."

Paul let out a low sigh as he seemed to consider her words. He then said, "I didn't know it was that bad."

Annie continued, "It was. That's part of the reason I started seeing Adam. I think it was part of my rebellion against her, and he made me feel wanted."

Paul nodded a few times, appearing to take in the information.

Annie watched his reaction and then said tentatively, "There's more I haven't told you."

Ruffles lifted her head and began to whimper, which caused Jeff to pick her up. She shifted on his lap and moved over to Annie, proceeding to lick her hand.

Paul perked up his ears and waited for her to continue as Anthony gave a worried look and shoved Britta's hand off his shoulder.

As she pet Ruffles, Annie said in a calm tone, "My overdose wasn't accidental. I left a note for mom."

At this, Paul's eyes grew large behind his glasses. He began to visibly perspire even more on his brow. "Nooo….."

-"Yes." Annie wiped her cheek and added, "Adam had dumped me and I didn't see my life getting any better. I didn't really think anyone cared. I think I was so depressed and had been for a long time, even longer than I think I even realized until just now. Everything always felt so heavy, and I was always so tired."

Paul began silently sobbing, eventually burying his face in his hands.

Anthony piped in, "Annie, oh my god. I cared. Why did you do that? You could have told me."

Annie made an effort to look over at her brother, who was staring at her with the most frantic expression she had ever seen from him. She felt incredibly guilty, but at the same time it felt nice to be free.

"I know that now. But I was depressed, and I wasn't thinking rationally. I'm so sorry, Anthony."

"Mom never told me about the note."

"She's never mentioned the note to me, either. She probably burned it."

Jeff squeezed Annie's hand as they all noticed Paul finally lift his head, his eyes bright pink.

"My Annie. Oh god."

Annie gulped before she said, "I felt abandoned by Adam like you abandoned me. It's like your love for me ended when you ended your marriage."

With a horrified look on his face, Paul said, "That's not true….oh my god, I am so sorry. I love you so much."

Annie let out one sob before she plowed on, "The only thing that saved me was Sophie. When I woke in the hospital and they told me I was pregnant, I had something to live for; it's why I didn't follow through with mom's wish that I terminate the pregnancy. I know it probably wasn't the wisest decision, but I had a purpose then. I had a baby I needed to bring into this world." She sniffed as she continued, "and the more my pregnancy progressed, the more I grew to love her. And now that I know her, the more she's a part of my heart. I can't even fathom ever leaving her, no matter what she did. She's my child and I love her _unconditionally_."

Realization dawning on his face, Paul gasped, "No matter _what she did_? Annie, you didn't _do_ anything. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. It's all me."

Annie nodded almost absentmindedly and crossed her legs, tightly clasping her knee as Ruffles nudged her way under her elbow. She said with an edge in her voice, "At least you're hearing me now. Mom refuses to even accept that I tried to kill myself."

A silence fell over the room, as everyone appeared to be lost in thought. Jeff did his best to convey nonverbally his support as he watched tears fall down Annie's cheeks, but he felt a helpless.

Finally, after tapping his hand on the chair a few times, Paul said, "I'm not defending her, but your mother had a really hard time when your Aunt Nora died. I assume she had a flashback of sorts. Your mother's not always rational when she's in distress."

Jeff cocked his head at this, wondering what the heck was going on. He sensed Annie also seemed confused.

"Aunt Nora?"

Paul nodded. "You remember. Your mother's little sister. She also had a drug problem and took her life." He sighed wistfully. "It was so tragic. She was only twenty two."

Annie stared at him, her mouth remaining open. At her expression, Paul furrowed his brow and said, "But you do remember?"

Her voice cracking, she replied, "All I know is she had an accident. I was like eight when she died."

Anthony then asked, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me I had an Aunt Nora?"

Britta and Jeff locked eyes, both in complete disbelief of what they were hearing. Britta began to resume efforts to soothe Anthony, which he once again swatted off in annoyance.

Anthony asked, "So, you mean I had another aunt no one told me about?"

With a sense of almost pleading, Annie said, "Oh god, Anthony. I'm sorry. You were three. I assumed…"

He shouted, "No one tells me anything! You don't tell me when you try to off yourself, you don't tell me when you had _a baby_ , mom doesn't tell me when she's sleeping with our neighbor, and dad doesn't tell me why he hasn't spoken to me in ten years. You're all full of crap!"

"Anthony, I wanted to protect you."

"Shut up, Annie."

Jeff snapped, "Anthony! You don't talk to your sister that way."

Anthony was still for a few moments and then met Jeff's gaze. He said, "You know what, Jeff? I respect that. _You_ can talk to me that way, because you know what? You've been more of a father to me this past year than my own dad has been in my entire life. I'm sorry, Annie." Anthony then turned toward Paul and said, "Did you know that Jeff's the one who gave me the safe sex talk? Because he _cares_."

Paul winced once again. "I don't know what to say. I'm a failure as a father."

Anthony nodded emphatically. "Yeah, you are. You didn't take care of Annie, mom couldn't take care of Annie, but Jeff took care of Annie. And you know what? The more I sit here listening to you, the more I don't even think Mom's that bad. I kinda feel pity for her right now, being married to you. Maybe _you're_ the one who drove _her_ crazy!"

At this, Paul merely offered, "I'm sorry."

They all sat in silence for about two full minutes, during which time Jeff let Annie bury her face in his chest, Ruffles jumped over to Anthony, and Anthony busied himself in scratching the dog's ears. Britta studied Paul's defeated expression as he kept his eyes on the floor.

Paul finally raised his head and made eye contact with his son. He said, "You've turned out to be a fine young man."

"I didn't. I'm a fuckup."

Annie bit her lip and turned her head outward. "No you're not."

Anthony let out a low laugh. "I am. In case you haven't guessed, I'm a pretty bitter person. And it's gotten in the way of the important stuff." He turned toward Annie as he said, "Annie, you're the best thing in my life. I'm sorry if I've been a jerk."

She smiled softly at him. "It's okay. I haven't been the best sister."

He shook his head, wiping is face in the process. "You are the best sister I could ever have. I want to make my life better, too. You like inspire me."

"Awwww." Annie placed a kiss on Jeff's cheek and then disentangled herself so that she could go sit next to her brother and pull him into a hug.

Britta and Jeff may have both had something in their eyes as they took in the sight of, contrary to Britta's initial expectations, sibling love and support being the healing force of the day rather than parental reconciliation.

X

X

After giving Annie and Anthony some space, Jeff sprung back into Winger solving mode and poured Paul another glass of wine as he otherwise refused to console him.

Paul, a few inches shorter in height, looked up at Jeff with a pained expression. "My children really needed to say some things to me."

They were standing in the dining area, Britta attempting to make herself useful in arranging place settings while not so sneakily eavesdropping. Jeff shot her a glare.

He then said to Paul, "I guess they did."

"Annie tried to take her life?" Paul's voice waivered once more, and he scanned Jeff's face almost frantically for some sign this was all incorrect.

Jeff ran his hand over his mouth and let out a sigh. "Yeah. Thank god she wasn't successful at something for a change."

Paul murmured something at the floor and then said more audibly, "I don't know how I can make this right with her, or with Anthony."

"You want to make it right?"

"Yes."

"Why did you bring your wife?"

Paul sighed and took a sip of wine. He then replied, "I rely on her. She's always so helpful and reassuring. Although I know it wasn't proper, you see, it turns out having her here was a good thing, she managed to keep little Sophie from everything. She's very good with children."

"Do you guys have kids?"

Paul appeared to startle. "No. Why on earth….I would have told Annie if that had been the case." He stared at Jeff in complete incredulity.

Jeff took a swig of wine and then placed his glass on the table, lightly shoving Britta to the side as she attempted to fix a napkin in between them. He said, "Really? Because I continue to marvel at the poor communication in her family. Everyone's just doing their thing, and everyone seems to get hurt."

Britta cleared her throat. "Jeff, how were things with your mom all those years before you went back to school?"

Jeff made a shushing motion at her, and she smirked triumphantly. Making the decision to ignore her, he turned his attentions back to Paul, who was regarding him once again with that defeated expression.

Jeff said, "Paul, try harder."

"How?"

He let out a groan and then launched in, "Stop being so consumed with your shame. It's honestly pretty ridiculous at this point. I made mistakes too, and.." he glanced over at Britta as he continued, "and I know you had me investigated and that Annie told you all about my past. I needed to make things right with my family, and things got a lot better between my mom and me once I started actually communicating with her and visiting her more often. Thank god we got a second chance, to actually know one another. I can finally be myself, and it is such a relief. And you know what? My mom's fucking amazing. She forgave me for everything, and I really miss her right now because she's home alone on Thanksgiving."

Jeff found himself choking back a sob as he surprised himself into continuing to hold steady eye contact with Paul.

"You're a good man, Jeff. I'm glad you're in my daughter's life."

Paul then turned around as he heard something behind him, and caught sight of the back of Britta's head. He asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, don't mind me."

Jeff rolled his eyes and stepped over, pulling Britta into a hug. "Hey now."

"You bastard. Making me feel things…."

"Hey, you wanted to be a part of catharsis, right?"

"Yeah, but…" She sniffed and then pulled back with wide eyes. "Now I feel an urge to go get your mom."

Jeff groaned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We made the decision not to mix things up today. My hope is we can still have Thanksgiving dinner, but I'll have to ask Annie."

Paul nodded meekly in the background.

"But I can go get your mom….."

-"Britta. No."

"It's no problem." She added in a mumble, "I'd be pretty easy, actually."

"I said No."

X

X

Jeff was pleasantly surprised to find Annie and Anthony in a better space when he went to check in with them in the living room. He sat down and made sure they wanted to go ahead with dinner, Annie readily agreeing while Anthony affected a more hesitant attitude. At Annie's prodding, he acquiesced and said he'd do it for her.

Annie went to get Sophie, tremendously grateful that she had been spared the unpleasantness. While she knew they wouldn't have had that conversation with her present, she was aware Jeff or Britta would have had to leave and she was glad both of them had stayed. She had needed Jeff's support, and despite Anthony's protests, he did seem at points to be relieved to have someone by his side.

She opened the door to Sophie's room, silently thankful that Becky had seen fit to close it and protect Sophie from the shouting. She lightly knocked as she entered and felt a twist in her stomach as she took in the sight of Becky sitting next to an entranced Sophie on the bed, flipping through a book as she read aloud:

"His mother put him to bed, and made some chamomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter!

'One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.'

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper."

Annie smiled genuinely as she said, "Sophie, it's time for dinner."

X

X

They sat round the dining table, which was actually comprised of a couple tables they had successfully placed next to each other with linen draped over to conceal it. They weren't used to so many guests.

Annie beamed at her brother as she placed the side of carrots next to the turkey in the middle of the 'table.'

"Thank you, Britta, for helping with the vegetables."

"No problem. Sophie did most of it, right Sophie?"

Sophie smiled. _"Yah."_ She then asked Annie, _"We eat bwead und milk un blackbewwies?"_

"No, sweetie. We're having turkey."

" _I no hab my jacket und shoes. I eat blackbewwies."_

Becky stifled a giggle and at everyone's confused stare looked over at Annie, who smiled slightly at her and then said to her daughter, "You do have a jacket and shoes. I think you might be confusing things with Peter Rabbit."

" _I not, Mama."_

"We can try blackberries some other time. How about some cranberries?"

At this, Sophie refocused her interest and the meal began. After some awkward small talk, they dug in. Within minutes, there was a bang against the wall. Britta looked up with concern, and Jeff followed her gaze to the wall.

He asked, "I wonder what the Dean is up to?"

Annie furrowed her brow as she assisted Sophie with cutting up her turkey, "I thought he went to Shirley's."

Jeff muttered, "I don't think so. He was full of flour the last time I saw him, when your mom was leaving. I think he invited her over."

As the words left his mouth, he instantly regretted it. Paul sat up straighter and cleared his throat.

"Rachel's next door?"

Annie squeaked and turned to Jeff. "I'm sure that's not true! She went home!"

Jeff shrugged and decided to let the whole thing play out. It might even be interesting. He stabbed his turkey with his fork. "Maybe she did. All I know is the last time I saw her, the Dean was ushering her inside. She did seem a little perplexed." He smirked and met Annie's incredulous stare.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Britta jumped up. "I'll get it!" She made her way over, and they all listened in to the exchange:

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you, I might need to borrow a bowl. We made too many potatoes."

Jeff groaned and Annie rolled her eyes.

There was the sound of a scuffle before the Dean appeared from around the corner, a hop in his step. At the sight of them all, he feigned a gasp and placed his hand on his chest.

Jeff did his best to ignore the giant pilgrim hat and matching booties.

"Why, I am so sorry! I had no idea I was interrupting!"

Britta came up behind him and silently mouthed her apologies to Annie and Jeff.

The Dean continued, "Why, is this….oh my goodness, are you Annie's father? Why I see the resemblance! I'm her Dean! I live next door! So pleased to meet you!"

Things only got stranger after that as another thud hit the wall. Jeff turned with an inquisitive look at Britta, whose eyes were even wider. There was another knock at the door and she dashed back around the corner.

Jeff stood and said, "Excuse me."

He made his way toward the front door and heard the arguing before he got there. Kevin stood on the doorstep with a turkey bib and a bag of cranberries.

He was pleading, "But I have no idea how to make the sauce, Britta. Please help me."

"Chang?" Jeff came up behind Britta and placed his hands a little too firmly on her shoulders.

Kevin looked up at him with a pitiful stare. "Oh, hi Jeff. I didn't mean to interrupt. We've been trying to lay low so as not to disrupt the family therapy session."

Jeff squinted at him. "There are so many things I have questions about what you just said." He began to knead Britta's shoulders.

She pushed him off her and turned around and said with an air of unnecessary defiance, "Fine! I've been helping the Dean with his Thanksgiving dinner next door! Are you happy now?!"

"I really don't care."

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Sure."

He sighed. "I'm just confused why you've been keeping this information from us and why you've announced that you're conducting family therapy."

"Well I did help you come to a realization about your mother."

"Seriously?"

She groaned. "Well, okay" She pointed her index finger toward the dining room as she said, "but there is a person in there with a pretty significant case of OCD. I think that counts."

At that moment, Ian came out of the Dean's apartment and stood in back of Kevin. He smiled apologetically at Jeff and then motioned for Kevin to follow him. "Come on. Stop bothering people."

"But my berries."

"I am sure we can look up a recipe. Britta's doing important work."

Jeff gasped at the sight of him, "You? You don't even celebrate Thanksgiving!"

Ian shrugged. "Free food."

"God."

Britta then leaned forward and asked, "Hey, is Annie's mom over there? Just asking. No reason."

Ian cringed slightly, a flush coming over him as he replied, "Well, perhaps."

Jeff nodded in satisfaction as he attempted to shut the door. Much to his frustration, he was Britta-blocked. She asked Ian another question, "I take it Shirley didn't make it yet?"

Ian shook his head. "She's still held hostage, I'm afraid."

Jeff cocked his head and folded his arms over his chest, resigned to the fact that their apartment door would remain open indefinitely. He internally made preparations to remove the hinges.

He cleared his throat and then managed, "Shirley's coming over?"

"If we can rescue her, yes."

Jeff rolled his eyes at Ian, who thankfully was pulling Kevin back toward the Dean's apartment. As he pushed the door open, Troy emerged, grinning at the sight of Jeff and Britta.

"Hey guys!" He bounded up to them and held up a sliver of what appeared to be pumpkin pie. "You have to try this. Abed made it. I had no idea he could do stuff like that."

Jeff said matter-of-factly, "I thought you were at Shirley's."

Troy pulled his head back with a wide stare. "Shirley's? Heck no! We bailed on that place a while ago." He added as he furrowed his brow in thought, "I may have eaten some stuff from the dumpster, but it was worth it."

Jeff made the decision to side step that one and instead gestured toward Troy's plate and asked, "Pie? Isn't dessert _after_ cranberries and potatoes?"

"Huh?" Troy used his fork to take off more of the pie and placed it in his mouth. He mumbled, "Now that I think about it, I don't think this tastes like pumpkin."

Abed popped his head out of the Dean's apartment as Ian and Kevin successfully disappeared back inside. He walked over to them all and tilted his head.

"Hey guys. Are we done with the angst?"

Jeff and Britta shrugged.

Abed pointed a finger into the air as he said, "I take it we are. The audience can only take so much before they either zone out, cry their eyes out, or become angry. Perhaps even all three. It's time for comic relief." He wiggled his brows as he awaited their reaction.

"Hey man, what's in this pie?"

"That's not pie."

"Huh?"

"One word, Troy. Hairdryer."

"Oh man, I told you that was an accident."

There was the sound of the creaking apartment door once again. Jeff sighed as he turned to see Pierce making his way over to them.

"Of course."

"Jeffrey, it's good to see you. It feels like we haven't spoken in ages."

"Pierce, I think we were all hoping you'd have left the show by now." Jeff gave Abed a wink and Abed instantly high fived him and whispered, "Nice."

Pierce leaned in eagerly. "What is that, Jeffrey? Is everything going okay? How's Annie?"

Jeff unfolded his arms and leaned against the doorway as he replied, "She's okay. It's been a difficult day, but she's hanging in there. Thanks."

Pierce nodded. "Good to hear. Maybe I could join you?"

"No."

"But Leonard's pissing me off."

Jeff began to nod adamantly. "Leonard. Of course. I should have known by the smell wafting down the corridor."

Annie then appeared by his side and said, her voice full of wonder, "The Dean tells me he's having Thanksgiving next door." She smiled brightly as she saw Troy, Abed, and Pierce. "Hi guys!" Her brow then furrowing in concern, she asked, "Is my mom over there?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. She's been latching on to me actually, which kind of surprised me since you told me she's racist. But I don't know if that's true, I just don't think she wanted you to be with me cause I'm not as smart as you and I used to be a jock."

"Troy…."

-"It's okay. She's been pretty nice to me today."

Abed added, "She has. She seems to be extra nice whenever Pierce or Leonard try to talk to her."

Annie turned to Jeff with sad eyes and said, "If it weren't for my mom, I'd say we should combine everything. It would be more fun, but I don't know…."

He shrugged. "It's up to you. We could just blow this whole thing up."

"Jeff."

"It's just an idea." He smirked and she rolled her eyes in response.

Almost upon cue, Rachel emerged from the apartment, in the middle of saying to someone behind her, "You are a horrible old man. Horrible."

"Mom?"

Rachel clenched her teeth as she firmly shut the door behind her and approached them, tottering over on her heels. Carefully pushing her hair back in place, she said, "Hi sweetie."

"You've been there this whole time?" Annie stared at her in disbelief.

Rachel glanced up at Jeff with a tentativeness and then looked back at her daughter. "I had nowhere else to be and I thought you might need me."

Much to Jeff's surprise, Annie immediately embraced Rachel. "Mom."

Abed watched the interaction in apparent thought, as he shushed Troy's attempts to discuss the pie situation. Britta moved to stand next to Jeff and whispered, "Catharsis."

He cleared his throat and stared at the ceiling for a moment while Britta silently congratulated herself.

Eventually pulling out of the protracted hug, Rachel said with a wry smile, "It's that bad?"

Annie shrugged and sniffed at the same time. She said weakly, "It's okay."

Rachel's lip trembled and then her eyes achieved a piercing stare over Annie's shoulder as her body stiffened.

They all turned to see Paul, who was suddenly standing by Annie's side.

"Rachel."

"Paul."

Annie squeaked and stepped away from her parents, allowing Jeff to take her hand.

Jeff then announced, "Hey, perhaps we should take a poll. Who wants to combine Thanksgivings? We could play a game of musical chairs or we could have rotating stations or some such crap. Knowing the Dean you guys have at least some amazing food over there and Annie made a pretty delicious turkey."

Rachel was practically fuming at this point, her face flushing as she spied Becky coming up behind Paul. She said, "Oh my god. Becky. The little slut." Her eyes then went to Paul as she asked, "What were you thinking bringing your slutty little wife here? You're such an ass, but then what else is new?"

At Rachel's exclamation, Annie said with a nervous laugh, "Yeah, everyone's here. Happy Thanksgiving!" She then surprised Jeff by giving him a big smooch on the lips and then pulled back with a huge grin. She said to him, "You know what? I'm done managing other people's feelings." She turned to her parents and Becky, who was looking ashen as she stood behind her father. She said, "You all can figure out your relationships amongst yourselves, and I can figure out my relationships to each of you, but I really don't know anything now. It's been a long day, and I need to eat."

Jeff placed his hands on his shoulders and bent down to say into her ear, "Yeah, I'm done with surprises and drama."

At that moment, the elevator dinged and Shirley emerged, running down the hall toward them. She was still wearing her _He Has Risen_ apron.

"Dear Lord, I am free! Everyone fell into a turkey coma! Hallelujah!" At the sight of Annie's parents, she stopped and affected a bright smile.

"Hel-lo!"

Jeff gave Shirley a nod and then said dryly, "Okay, _now_ we're done with surprises."

The door then opened once more to the Dean's apartment. Jeff and Annie turned, both not sure what to expect.

"Mom?!"

Dorie smiled sheepishly as she peered out. "Hello dear. I hope you don't mind. I was all alone, and Buzz and Ian invited me over."

Jeff motioned for her and stepped forward to bend down and fully embrace her. He whispered, "I'm so glad to see you." He held her more tightly than he ever had, perhaps fully realizing at that moment how lucky he was to have such a loving parent. He had underestimated her throughout the years, assuming she wanted him to be a perfect human being when all she really wanted was for him to include her in his life.

She whispered back, "I missed you too. Happy belated birthday and congratulations."

Britta wiped another tear as she watched them, and Abed gave her the shushing gesture as she attempted to speak. Shirley reinforced his message with a stern nonverbal warning.

As Jeff and Dorie moved out of their hug, Annie stepped forward and threw her arms around Dorie, who gripped her tightly.

"I'm so happy to see you."

"You too dear, my favorite daughter-in-law. I'm so happy."

Jeff stepped back and caught Rachel's look of unease and Paul's fore longed expression. He wondered what it was like for them to see their daughter interact so naturally and lovingly with a parental figure.

Annie smiled at Dorie as they pulled out of the hug and said, "I wanted you at Thanksgiving. We always do Thanksgiving together."

"I understood dear." Dorie turned toward Rachel and said," Good to see you again, Rachel." Her eyes then went to Paul and she extended her hand, "Hi, I'm Dorie, Jeff's mother. You must be Annie's father."

As Annie assisted with the introductions, Jeff squinted over toward the Dean's door. He marveled to no one in particular, "So Buzz is here too? How does he fit them all?"

Abed moved to stand next to him and nodded. "It is perplexing. Troy and I were disappointed it wasn't an X-7 Dimensionizer, but it turns out everyone is really crammed in there. It's like a sardine can. See, I used a simile."

"Nice work, Abed."

"Thank you."

"I've been working on my similes."

"You don't say."

"But I just said."

Jeff let out a long sigh and then, disregarding Troy's now alarmingly green hue, tugged on Annie's sleeve. She grinned up at him as he said in a low voice, "Perhaps tonight would be a good time to watch our wedding video."

She nodded with full enthusiasm.

The door to the Dean's apartment creaked once more, and Jeff knew what was coming. Buzz Hickey entered the hallway and shuffled over. Jeff didn't miss that he placed a hand on his mother's shoulder, and she didn't even attempt to hide it. He made a note to himself to discuss that with her at a more appropriate time.

As Annie made introductions, Sophie appeared next to Becky, her curiosity likely aroused by the all of the sounds in the hallway. Jeff silently and only very briefly wondered what it was like for Anthony and the Dean to be alone together.

At the sight of Sophie, Buzz said with a wink, "Hiya squirt."

" _Buzz Buzz!"_ Sophie squealed in delight and rushed over, allowing Buzz to bend down and pull her into a bear hug. He then picked her up and hoisted her to his side.

Pierce immediately stepped over and attempted to take her, but Buzz merely squinted at him in annoyance.

" _Gampa Peas! I missed you. Und I missed Buzz. Und I miss Gamma."_

Pierce nodded in sympathy and patted her head.

Once again, Paul and Rachel watched.

X

X

Thanksgiving turned out to be a lively affair indeed. Everyone ate, some people quarreled, Leonard farted, many awkward moments ensued, and there was even some love to be found amongst various couples, both platonic and romantic, around the tables. It almost seemed a shame that the festivities were not occurring on Greendale's campus but more in the real world, where as time went on the study group seemed to be pulled more toward rather than the surreal terrain of their school.

They did end up watching the wedding footage, Annie sitting next to Jeff with Sophie and Ruffles in her lap. They marveled at the way Abed and Troy were able to capture the occasion, even with the less than optimal filming conditions. Annie glanced at her parents at various points, noticing they both seemed befuddled at watching their daughter's wedding. She did catch sight of Anthony, who seemed to be taking everything in, at times mumbling something to Britta who remained by his side.

" _Mama, you so pwetty. I pwetty too. Und Daddy pwetty."_

"Yes, sweetie, we all looked very nice. It was a special day."

" _Yah, we mawwied."_

"Yes, we're all married and very soon Daddy will adopt you officially. We're going to see a judge, and then we'll take you out to your favorite place."

" _Mc Donald's?"_

Annie exchanged bemused looks with Jeff, and then replied, "Yes, if you want to go there, we will."

" _Yay!"_

Sophie grinned and turned toward Dorie on Annie's other side and said, _"You come too, Gamma?"_

"I would love that, dear." Dorie leaned down and gave Sophie a kiss and Sophie reciprocated by throwing her arms around her neck. Dorie giggled as she pulled Sophie into her lap for the remainder of the wedding film.

Rachel and Paul observed all of Annie and Sophie's interactions with Dorie from across the room.

X

X

In the end, people went home or back to their hotels, and Annie and Jeff, after shooing Britta away, cleaned up and put Sophie to bed. It had been a late night for her, and they hoped she would sleep soundly.

Annie fell back onto the bed and allowed Jeff to wrap his arms around her, being careful to leave room for a sleeping Sophie in between them. They didn't have the heart to put her in her own bed tonight, both of them silently understanding that they wanted her close for some reason. Ruffles snored contentedly near their feet.

She felt the nighttime peace fall over them and was truly thankful for her husband, her daughter, and her friends. And her sullen baby brother.

She figured she didn't need to make any rash decisions about her relationships with her parents. She had come to the painful but somewhat relieving realization that they were each flawed individuals who probably shouldn't have mated.

She sighed in contentment as she rolled toward Jeff, and she nuzzled into his chest, over Sophie's head.

She whispered, "You are my sweetheart."

He grinned down at her and whispered back, "I'm honored." He then placed a soft kiss on her lips.

In a continued hushed tone but slightly above a whisper, she said, "Thank you for putting up with all that today. It meant a lot to me."

"Of course. How are you really?" He scanned her with concern.

She let out a deep breath as she shifted position so she could meet his gaze. "I'm okay."

"You really let him have it. I was rooting for you." He affected a slight grin.

She bit her lip and then said, "I guess I surprised myself. I didn't realize until I saw him again how angry and disappointed I was. I honestly thought we could just move on, but I think there has to be a lot of rebuilding."

They fell into silence for a few moments, both of them listening to each other's breath. Finally, he asked, "You want to rebuild?"

She paused to think this over, a strange sensation coming over her. Part of her had bought into Britta's plan for a cathartic reunion, and that hadn't turned out to be the case. But she didn't feel completely hopeless about the situation either, knowing it couldn't have been easy for her father to come and see her and Anthony.

"I don't know. I think…maybe? Or at least see."

He placed a kiss on her forehead in response, and she allowed herself to sink further down in the mattress.

A haze of sleepiness floating over her, she added, "I want to keep our family strong, _our_ family. You, me, and Sophie."

"We'll always be strong. We'll stay together." His gravely voice soothed her.

"And we'll always talk, Jeff. We have to keep doing that."

"Always."


	24. Normal Distributions

**Chapter 24: Normal Distributions**

Summary: Annie and Jeff navigate normalcy

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: We're in the final chapters of the Gas Leak year, dear readers. Remember S4 ended around January, a timeline this fic will also follow, despite Jeff not graduating until May in this AU.**

 **But first, some important events in December.**

 **Warning: sexual harassment and general creepiness**

 **xxxxx**

After the Thanksgiving drama, everything seemed to settle back down to normal. Or at least relatively normal. The study group returned to classes, intent on doing their best to finish the semester on a decent note, having all struggled with Professor Cornwallis' demands throughout the fall. They met daily in the study room, commiserating and sometimes actually studying under Annie's watchful gaze. They would also engage in playful banter with the Dean, whom Jeff and Annie continued to see regularly as their neighbor and Annie as her, technically, boss.

Jeff and Annie both thought it was all very normal and routine. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

Jeff told himself he didn't need to be too concerned about their plans for Sophie's adoption. That would be happening in the upcoming weeks, and really it was all a formality at this point anyway. He was finding that adjusting to being a married man also wasn't that unnerving; again, it was all a formality. He had been steadfast in his commitment to Annie for quite some time now, and being married to her seemed to make sense these days. Plus, he kinda liked referring to her as his _wife_ , a term he took gleeful liberty in using, much to Britta's eye rolls.

And he really didn't need to talk to his mom about Buzz Hickey. Nope, he could let that topic lie safely dormant for now. Hand on the shoulder? No big deal. It probably meant nothing. His mom was a nun.

No, things were normal. Nothing to worry about at all. Sure, his grades weren't the best in History, but he was fairly confident he could skate by. Then there was only one more semester until his graduation, and he had made sure to cram the remaining months with blow off electives, so he and Mark would have plenty of time to start their own firm. The class he was most anticipating was Advanced Pottery, as he may have been practicing his clay skills under the guise of helping Sophie with her Playdoh creations. He couldn't wait to stick it to Rich.

He tried not to think too hard on the fact that they were trying to conceive another child. Although he tried to shrug it off, part of him was disappointed that Annie got her period after Thanksgiving. She had explained to him that their _trying_ hadn't probably been real _trying_ so far since she had been in the incorrect phase of her cycle during their honeymoon. She had remained cheerfully optimistic that they would be successful, and once again urged him not to think too hard on it. He also was grappling with the fact that part of him had also been relieved. After all, they did just tie the knot and pushed through a draining Thanksgiving with finals and holidays looming; they didn't really need something else on their plate at the moment.

It would all be fine.

Annie wasn't worried either. She told herself that the end of the semester would be over soon enough; she'd get through the papers and the tests. She didn't want to get caught up in Jeff's anxiety about baby making. Frankly, she thought his thinly veiled attempts to portray it as not a bit deal were a little cute. She knew he was placing a lot of weight on them being able to conceive, but she knew deep down that even if they couldn't, they would be fine. They had a pretty good life together, and she had a lot of hopes for their future regardless.

Yes, she told herself, there was nothing at all to worry about.

She had a nice lunch with her father the day after Thanksgiving, going alone so they'd have some space to talk honestly about things. To her relief, he had shown up without Becky, and they had a fairly candid conversation, ending with him making a promise to come out to visit again in the upcoming months and Annie sharing she might be open to flying out to see him. They agreed to take things as they came.

Even Anthony seemed to be doing better. He had softened a little toward their mother, and was being less surly than usual. Annie had finally taken him up on his offer to babysit and left Sophie with him at their mother's house for an afternoon, returning to find Sophie squealing with excitement as she showed her the glitter drawings she and her Uncle Anthony had made in Bubbe's kitchen. _Bubbe_ had even done her best to not freak out, sputtering as she quickly cleaned up the mess while Annie became even more bemused.

Everything was fine.

She didn't need to be concerned about Professor Cornwallis. When she went to his office hours, it was just a misunderstanding. He didn't really mean what he said; he must have misspoke or she heard him wrong. She definitely didn't need to tell anyone about it. After all, if she did that then it would be a _thing_. She didn't need something to be a _thing_ when she was this close to finishing the semester. And she didn't want to upset Jeff unnecessarily. Surely Professor Cornwallis would grade her fairly.

Right?

No, she thought the safest thing to do was to lay low and focus on the important things.

Both she and Jeff needed to think about the social worker visits. They would do their best to demonstrate that Sophie and Jeff deserved to be father and daughter. It would be easy, merely something they would have to get through.

X

X

X

The day of the first visit, Annie wanted to do laundry and clean the apartment, so Jeff took Sophie with him to run some errands, including dropping Ruffles off at Ian's and then going grocery shopping for lunch. The day started out on a frustrating note, as Sophie once again insisted on picking out her own clothes and then refused Jeff and Annie's efforts to dress her. She ended up very slowly pulling on a bright teal dress over her head, letting it hang half off her face. Jeff sighed and attempted to help her pull it all the way over, but she insisted on doing it herself. That was her way these days; everything had to be on Sophie's terms.

Jeff told himself it was cute, at least at first. Overall, he had been surprised thus far how easy Sophie seemed to be in many ways, at least personality-wise. He knew how to take care of her needs by now, and while nighttime wakenings with weird Hulk questions and whatnot did tend to be fatiguing, she was usually pretty adorable about it. She hadn't really gone through a _terrible two_ phase, only insisting on things at points and crying, but once gain her temper tantrums usually didn't erupt too badly and he and Annie could soothe her.

But ever since she turned three there had been something else going on. Jeff noticed she had more of a spark in her eyes when she became thwarted, and she had been gradually more insistent that she have some independence, often attempting things that she was not even close to being able to accomplish, such as trying to take Ruffles for a walk by herself at two in the morning. He and Annie had been reading a lot of discipline books, and he had even talked to Ian about it.

Jeff really didn't need her to be doing this today. He sat back on the floor, leaning into her bed as he watched her continue to grunt as she wrestled with her dress.

"You need some help?"

" _No. I said I DO it MYSELF!"_

He pursed his lips and waited, busying himself with scratching Ruffles underneath her chin. At least the dog didn't talk back to him.

He said calmly, "You know, one day we will have a more serious talk about respect, munchkin."

" _I almost done."_

"Yeah, about that…"

" _Stop it, Daddy! Let go!"_

x

"Now just hold still, please."

" _No, I do it myself."_

"You are not clipping your own fingernails. This is a job for daddy."

" _No! You NOT do it! I cut dem."_

"You're not allowed to handle sharp scissors." Jeff squinted at the little clippers in his hand, wondering how such a flimsy instrument could make it through a nail, yet it always did. She had pretty thin baby nails.

" _Daddy."_ She pouted and began to cry.

"Oh for god's sake." He placed the scissors on her bedside table and pulled her into his arms, where she pressed against him and went into full on sobbing mode. After a minute of this, him calmly murmuring some words of comfort to her, he said, "You know, I bet you could help me cut Ruffles' nails."

The crying noticeably became softer, and through sniffs, she let him show her how he was going to clip Ruffles. Luckily the dog played along, and Jeff ended up having Sophie sit next to her and pet her back so Jeff could handle the paws.

While she still put up a little fuss when it came to her own fingers, she did settle down, but it took an extra half hour.

X

They eventually dropped off Ruffles and made it to the grocery store. It had been a harrowing ride, as Sophie had offered her assistance in navigating from the backseat. Every time he took the correct turn instead of her suggestion(?), she had freaked out. When they arrived at the store, he had gotten one of the child friendly carts and placed her in the red plastic driver's seat behind the steering wheel. He was grateful for such a ridiculous contraption, something he had derided in his bachelor days. But now he completely understood. She could pretend to steer and be preoccupied while he dumped stuff in the cart.

Jeff pulled down a box of macaroni and cheese from the shelf and squinted at the ingredients.

" _Not dat one, Daddy. Dis one."_

He looked up to see her gesturing toward a bright blue box with orange letters. He said, "Yeah, I know that's what we usually get but that stuff is full of additives." He hummed to himself as he continued to regard the list on the new package.

Sophie frowned and then screeched, _"I wan DIS_ _one!"_

He grimaced and looked around, offering an apologetic smile to anyone in the area, which luckily seemed to be composed of fairly sympathetic people who either returned his smile or moved quickly away. He gave Sophie a stern look and said, "Indoor voice."

" _No!"_

"Now listen…"

"Jeff, Sophie, hi."

He turned to see Britta standing there in her leather jacket and boots, sunglasses on top of her head. She was holding a basket and smiling smugly as she looked back and forth between his and Sophie's likely stubborn expressions.

"Hi Britta."

" _Tit-ta!"_

"Hi Sophie. What are you and your dad arguing about?"

Sophie sighed. _"He not let me hab dis. He mean."_

Britta snorted and turned toward Jeff. "Why are you being so mean, Daddy?"

" _Yeah, Daddy. Why you so mean?"_

Jeff bit his lip and glanced over at Sophie, who was staring at him with a mixture of fury and pride. He figured she was probably really enjoying the validation from Britta, who was now grabbing a blue box and placing it in his cart.

" _Dank you."_

"You're welcome."

Jeff said, "Hey! That's full of crap."

Britta chuckled. "Really? She eats it all the time."

"I though you cared about nutrition."

She shrugged. "Not really. I care about not eating meat. Plus I don't think a box of mac and cheese every once in awhile is going to kill her."

"She hardly eats it only once in awhile."

"Eh, she's young. They all eat like that. You should have seen my nephew when he was little." 

Jeff briefly wondered what Britta's relationship with her family was like these days, since he had become aware she was always on her own over the holidays and only knew that she kept in touch with her nephew since he attended one of their plays. She never mentioned her brothers. He only knew she had two because Abed told him that first day of school.

He made an effort to shrug off his ponderings and said, "You're undermining my parental authority."

She broke out into a grin and she placed a kiss on Sophie's head. "You betcha I am."

Sophie began giggling.

He smiled tightly as he resumed pushing the cart, Britta quickly following with her basket full of bagels.

"Can you pronounce those?" He cocked his head toward her basket.

"Shut up."

"Why do I always run into you in the grocery store?"

"I don't know. Maybe you're always here with your bitchy low blood sugar."

He rolled the cart to a stop, and casting a glance at Sophie, who was watching them with intense interest, said in a softer tone, "We need to watch our language."

"Oh, right. Shit."

"Britta."

Sophie began laughing.

"Whoops. Yeah, okay."

He sighed and leaned forward on the cart, moving Sophie's bear over to her from where it had slid during their excursion. Sophie willingly took it and began to pet it. He smiled slightly at this and then said to Britta, "This is kind of a day."

"What's up?"

He took a deep breath and pondered the situation for a moment. Although he wasn't entirely convinced talking to Britta about it would help, he felt the urge to get it out of his head. He replied, "The wife's at home getting everything ready. I'm supposed to keep the munchkin occupied and pick up some stuff for lunch," he paused and then added for clarification, "The social worker is coming for a first visit. We need to jump through some hoops before we can schedule the adoption hearing."

Britta softened her expression and stepped al little closer. Running her hand through Sophie's curls, she said, "It'll be okay. They're just checking off a box, right?"

He sighed and tried to ignore the fact that Sophie's carefully arranged ringlets were now popping out of the left side due to Britta's interference. He said, "I suppose. They're looking for obvious signs that this isn't a good situation. Adam's done his part, and I guess he convinced someone he was voluntarily giving up his rights. But then there's the other side of it, making sure that I will be a stable figure for her and that we all understand what this means."

Sophie was now looking up at Britta in complete admiration. He turned his eyes toward Britta, noticing she was glancing back and forth between them with an expression of fondness.

"You guys will kick…" she stopped and then said, "booty."

"I hope so."

X

X

After surviving Sophie dictating his purchases at the grocery store, they made it home. He and Annie did some last minute scans of the place and straightened up Sophie's room and clothes, Sophie sneakily readjusting her dress so that it was slightly askew.

The social worker, a woman named Jody who seemed to be in her late forties, arrived at the appointed time, and they all sat down for lunch. Jeff and Annie did their best to act natural and ignore the notepad and manila file at Jody's side.

"So this is Jody, she's a nice lady who is going to play with us a little today."

Sophie smiled as Annie adjusted her bib and strapped her into her booster seat. _"Hi."_

Jody leaned forward and said with full enthusiasm, "It's good to meet you, Sophie. I hope we'll have a lot of fun today. What do you like to eat?"

Sophie immediately launched into one of her favorite topics with accompanying gestures, _"I lub mac un cheese. Und Mama's pancakes. Und milk. Und peanut butter. Oooh, und I like when Daddy make bananas wid bwead und jelly. Ooooh und I weally like bwead. Und cake."_

Jody stifled a laugh and glanced up as Jeff cleared his throat.

He remarked dryly, "You'd think we just let her have bland-colored carbs. I swear she does eat green things."

"Oh, I'm sure she does. Little kids do love their beige and yellow foods, don't they?"

" _I lub gween! Mama make Hulk pancakes! Und I make gween cookies!"_

"There was food coloring involved…"

"Sophie, sweetie, tell Jody how much you like peas."

" _No! I don't like peas, Mama."_

"You don't? You told me you loved peas yesterday."

" _I not. Id not yestew-day, Mama."_

Jeff snorted at this, and caught the glimmer of humor in Jody's eyes. He supposed things might be okay.

X

"So, we did the background checks, and we noticed you and your husband both have some things in your pasts."

Annie inwardly startled at Jody's words as she wiped down the dining table. Jeff had taken Sophie to use the bathroom and wash her hands. She turned toward the social worker and asked "Is any of that a problem? I was already her mother. My arrest and rehab… I've been forthcoming…"

Jody shook her head and interjected, "Of course it's not a problem. It seems as if you've gotten your life back on track. But anyway, we're not here to evaluate you and Sophie of course, this is merely a check to make sure your husband and Sophie are in a stable father-daughter relationship, so the court knows it can sign off on the adoption."

Annie nodded and then bit her lip. She had wondered about Jeff's background check, but hadn't wanted to voice her concerns, somehow hoping it wouldn't matter. She managed to ask, "Is Jeff's license suspension an issue?"

Jody paused and regarded her a moment before she answered, "No. It is an _unusual_ circumstance, one that got my boss wondering about the two of you, to be honest, plus the age difference…well, but technically none of that should really be relevant. Your husband is not in trouble with the law and you're an adult."

Annie inwardly rolled her eyes but did her best to keep a cheerful expression. She thought quickly and decided on her strategy. She said, "Oh, yes, I know it might seem unconventional, but then again my life hasn't been that conventional ever since I got involved with her birth father, who was one of my _teachers._ " She plastered on a wide smile and waited for Jody to take that information in. She figured it would make Jeff look positively angelic by comparison.

"Oh, um…I didn't see that in the file." Jody's face flushed as she attempted to keep a professional expression.

Annie let out an exaggerated sigh and said, "He wasn't the kindest to me, and he initially didn't want anything to do with Sophie. He met her when she was six months old after I sued for child support, and after that well…..he hasn't been that involved."

Jody nodded slowly and perused the file. "I did read about the visits and child support issues."

"He never wanted to be a father. Jeff's known Sophie since she was eight weeks old, and he's been great with her."

"And you two have been in a romantic relationship, how long?"

"Since she was ten months. We were good friends before that."

"Living together?"

"About a year and a half."

"Married?"

"Two weeks ago."

"Good." Jody looked up from her file and smiled softly. "Let me just see how they get along together. This will be the first of two visits unless I have reason to schedule more." At Annie's frown, she added for explanation, "In situations like this, it usually all works out smoothly. And even if it doesn't, we're only talking about scheduling more visits before a court date. Ninety nine percent of the time, the adoption goes through. So please don't worry about it today."

"Okay."

X

Everything was going well until Sophie pulled out the tutu she had unknowingly stashed under the couch and ran to her room to put it on. Annie grinned and chased after her, bringing her out a minute later wearing the bright pink thing over her teal dress. Jody took it all in stride and wrote something down, which made Jeff nervous, but he told himself he was being ridiculous. Little kids ran around all the time and wore tutus, and it did not reflect on his parenting skills.

He did, however, begin almost losing it when Sophie brought out her tricycle from the back closet.

"That's only for the park."

" _I wanna go to the park."_

"We can't. It's snowing outside."

" _Ooohh…snow! I get my swimming suit."_

Jeff stared at her incredulously and said, "It's _snowing_. That means it's _cold_ outside. We're not going swimming."

At this unwelcome news, Sophie burst into tears.

" _I wanna go swimming! I wanna go swimming NOW!"_

The screaming came at high volume with a screeching pitch accompanied by sobs.

Jeff's eyes widened as he moved forward and picked her up, instinctively moving into the position he assumed when Sophie had a meltdown these days. Annie liked to call it Daddy-Reassurance Mode (DRM). He didn't really have time to consider Jody's presence or over think it; he carried her off toward her room while saying, "You're okay, munchkin. I know it's really upsetting."

Annie exchanged looks with Jody, who gave her an encouraging smile and then rose, indicating she would be following Jeff. At Annie's inquisitive head tilt, she explained, "I need to see how he handles this."

Annie quickly nodded and followed her down the hall, pushing down her worries. They hadn't really known what to expect with the visit, and she wondered how a toddler tantrum figured into it. They wanted to assess the father-daughter bond, right? What did Jeff's ability to calm her have to do with it? What if he said something abrupt, as they would both do on occasion when Sophie was being particularly horrible and then she screamed even louder? Surely that wouldn't make a difference in the adoption proceedings?

She stopped as she came to Jody's back. Jody whispered something to her about them staying in the hallway so as not to disturb Jeff and Sophie, and they both watched as Jeff sat on the floor with Sophie in front of her bed.

Jeff was holding her to his chest as she cried, her face bright red and the tears falling freely. He leaned over and grabbed her bear, but she swatted it away, so he placed it to his side and said in a soothing tone, "I know. It sucks."

" _I wanna go swimming."_

"I wish we could, but it's cold."

" _I swim in cold, Daddy."_

"Shhhhh….we're okay. We have tutus and you know what? Uncle Troy and Uncle Abed have a sled they said we can borrow. We can do that later this afternoon."

" _I wanna go swimming!"_

At this outburst, Jeff closed his eyes and continued to pet Sophie's curls. She had started to sob more and was less verbal. He said, "Let's count to twenty."

There was a muffled, _"Okay."_

"One….two…three…four…"

With a nervous smile, Annie turned to look at Jody, who was continuing to watch them as she scribbled something on her notepad. Annie attempted to lean over to read it, which cost her a look of reproach, so she moved back to her spot.

"He's doing great."

Jody's whispered compliment almost startled Annie, who found herself un-tensing her shoulders. She soft-squeaked, "You think so? It's how we do time outs. Our friend who's a psychologist recommended it. One of us goes with her and holds her."

"I think that's just lovely."

"It usually helps," Annie whispered as she felt a sense of pride in her chest.

Continuing to scribble, Jody said, "Of course it does. She needs reassurance you're not mad at her when she can't control her emotions, and she needs help in calming down at this age."

Annie nodded as they both continued to regard the father-daughter moment unfolding in front of them.

Jeff was still counting, "fourteen….fifteen….sixteen….that's the age when you're going to steal my car but I'll forgive you…seventeen….eighteen…that's when my heart will break cause you'll be all grown up so you gotta make me proud….nineteen…twenty." With that, Jeff placed a kiss on a now quiet Sophie's head. "I love you, munchkin."

" _I lub."_

Jeff reached over and grabbed the bear, and this time Sophie accepted it.

X

X

Jody pulled on her coat and looked them all over with a pleased expression.

"This was so much fun. Thank you for letting me come over to play, Sophie."

Sophie leaned her head into Annie's leg in an almost bashful pose and waived. _"Bye bye."_

"Bye." Jody turned toward Jeff and Annie and added, "I think we only need to do the second visit. I'll come by within the next two weeks, probably before the tenth if that's okay? After that I'm slammed."

Annie nodded and interlaced her fingers with Sophie's as Sophie began to twist around, clearly bored. She said, "Hanukkah's starts on the eighth, so we'll be busy for al little while in the evenings." She cast a worried look over at Jody, who shook her head and pulled out her planner.

"How about the seventh? I know it's a Friday, but that would probably be best for my schedule and that way we can get everything moving with the court. Otherwise I can't work you in until after Hanukkah, but then there's Christmas….it's a busy time."

"When do you think we should do it?"

"In my experience, if we meet on the seventh, we can get this set in January. Again, it depends on judge availability, but I we'll do everything on our end to make sure this moves through. I just need to do the second assessment."

Annie and Jeff nodded, both agreeing to do whatever they could to rearrange things and be available that Friday. Although they both had a History class Friday afternoon, Annie assured them that she would talk to Professor Cornwallis and work it out. Jeff wasn't on nearly as good terms with him, and Annie insisted she would handle it.

X

X

X

Jeff pushed open the door to the office building as Alan followed him. He had made the mistake of running into him at Starbucks around the corner and thus far had successfully endured some nasty comments about one of the senior partners and other Alan musings.

"So I said to him, fuck off man."

"You did not say that."

"Well, yeah, okay, but I might. Next time."

Jeff turned briefly toward him and smirked before making his way toward the elevator. Alan followed him inside. Jeff hit the button for his floor and was disappointed when Alan didn't press anything.

Jeff took sip of his coffee and then remarked, "You can't say something like that to a senior partner, not as a junior partner. Maybe one day when you're ten years older and on the golf course…. _maybe._ "

Alan gripped his coffee cup a little too tight for Jeff's comfort, so Jeff stepped back slightly. Alan took a step forward as he said, "Yeah, well, yeah."

"Right." Jeff pushed down the urge to add something sarcastic, but he figured it wouldn't do any good. He really needed to shake this guy. The bell dinged for his floor, so Jeff nodded at Alan and said, "I'll leave you here. Have a good day."

"I have a few minutes. I'll come with you."

Jeff inwardly groaned as he walked down the hall, Alan doing his best to keep up with the long strides.

"So I heard you got married."

"That's right. We decided to elope."

"That's cool. Congrats."

"Thanks."

"And you're going to adopt her kid?"

"In the works."

Jeff kept his eyes straight ahead, unsure of where this was going. The last time Alan followed him around like this he had been more insecure than usual. Despite making junior partner, Alan was fully aware the senior partners actively disliked him and Jeff assumed he wasn't being invited too much or included in recreational activities. Alan hated being excluded.

Jeff flashed a smile at Penelope as they arrived in the administrative area.

"Good morning, Quarters."

"Hi Jeff." There was a pause before she added, "Alan."

"Hey, Penny." Alan scrunched up his face as he turned to Jeff and asked, "Why did you call her Quarters?"

Penelope suppressed her laughter as Jeff shrugged. "I guess I forgot her name. Whoops." He cast her a smirk and then asked, "Do we have the Andersen file?"

She tapped her pen and said, "I put it on your desk. I went through part A and I'm going to research the law on title transfers, but I think we're good with scheduling the meeting."

"Awesome. I'll hunt through part B and then call Grover."

"We'll convene at ten?"

"Perfect."

Alan watched them make these arrangements and then let out a low whistle. "Seriously, you two. If Jeff hadn't put me in my place regarding your _relationship_ , I'd swear you were scheduling a booty call in code." He wiggled his brows as if hoping that he was correct.

Jeff turned to him and squinted in annoyance. "God, Alan. Shut the fuck up."

"I'll pretend you didn't say that."

"I really don't care."

"You should. I'm a partner."

Jeff did his best to keep a straight face. While he knew he was halfway out the door of the firm, he wasn't ready to let anyone else know that. He had even kept the secret from Penelope, which caused him a bit of angst. He and Mark wanted her to join them, but they didn't want to put her in an awkward position. They thought it best to make her an offer after they left the firm.

Which would be right after Jeff's graduation in May. They were actively scouting office locations and making sure they were sticking to Mark's non compete clause in his contract. But Jeff no longer had a non-compete clause. It was the crucial issue that the firm had majorly screwed up when they rehired him as a contactor. He technically was no longer considered an employee, which meant his old employee contract was void. He was also not a lawyer since his license was suspended, which meant he couldn't technically act in the role of a lawyer.

He could maintain whatever relationships with clients he wanted, and no one could stop him.

Hee hee.

But just because this was all legal, he didn't want the firm to think he would do such a thing and make him sign something right now or fire him. He counted on the present income and he needed to maintain face time with clients. He and Mark were hoping he could get some of the clients to follow them, and then when he was reinstated by the Bar he would handle the cases while Mark drummed up new business. It was also the only way that they could justify why Mark would put up more upfront business costs, as Jeff was a little strapped for cash compared to the glory days. But that would be temporary.

He needed to keep this job.

He kept his mouth level as he said, "I'm sorry, Alan. Old habits die hard."

"I know. Cause we used to be buddies."

"Right."

"We could be again. Truce?" Alan leaned forward and regarded him with eagerness, his hand protruding from his side in an attempt to shake on it.

Startled, Jeff squinted once again as he stalled for time. He asked, "Um, meaning what?"

Alan moved his hand down and then sat on the edge of Penelope's desk. "We should hang out. I'd love to meet your wife."

Jeff rolled his eyes as he reached past Alan to hand Penelope the pastry he had purchased for her. She smiled in appreciation and then shot Alan an annoyed look, her eyes moving down to where he sat. He returned her look with a flirtatious smirk, clearly misreading her and thinking she was checking out his ass. She turned back to her computer.

Noticing this and deciding to let it go, Jeff said, "I don't think you'd find that fun. We're a boring married couple now. You'd feel like a third wheel." He then decided to actually ignore Alan and addressed Penelope, "So Nickels, you left my kid jingling. That could have been nasty had her pants gone through the washing machine."

Turning to face him, Penelope laughed. "Hey, I couldn't resist. Oh my god, she's sooooo cute! I want to eat her!"

"Yeah, I know. Eat that pastry instead."

She nodded and opened up the small bag.

Alan interjected with a sneer, "She takes after her mother, not you."

Jeff turned toward Alan and glared at him. "What is your problem?"

Alan threw up his hands in a disarming gesture. "Nothing, sorry, geez."

"I really need to get some work done, so if you don't mind."

In an abrupt manner that Jeff wasn't even close to seeing coming, Alan said, "I'm engaged. I can bring my fiancé to meet you and your wife."

At this, Jeff cocked his head, exchanging a quick look of alarm and complete bafflement with Penelope. "You're WHAT?!"

Alan nodded smugly, placing his coffee on Penelope's desk and crossing his arms. "Engaged. Take that, Winger."

"Take _what_? We are not in competition."

"Sure we're not. I know you wanna become partner and you're schmoozing with Ted. I know you go on fancy dinners with him and you'll probably go scuba diving, but I can play this game too!"

Jeff groaned. "None of that is happening. You're delusional."

"Am I?"

"Pretty much."

Jeff walked into his office, intent on at least sparing Penelope from the rest of this. Alan followed with his coffee.

After placing his briefcase and coffee on his desk, Jeff sat down. He glanced at the two framed pictures on his desk and then said, "So I'm supposed to have dinner with you now that you said all those things to me? Why on earth would I do that? Oh, and why would I subject Annie to your presence? And Christ, you're _engaged?_ Since when do you even have a girlfriend? Or boyfriend?"

Alan waltzed over and sat on the corner of his desk, no doubt so he could appear taller for a change. He leaned over. "So her name's _Annie_ is it? That's cute." He scanned the room almost absentmindedly as he added, "I know a girl named Annie. She's hot. I hope your lady's hot."

"Where is this going, Alan?"

Alan looked down at a memo pad and began picking at the edges. "I just think given you want to become partner and are all cozy with Ted we could be friends again. It would make things a lot more fun around here."

Jeff carefully placed the pictures face down on his desk, realizing suddenly that Alan didn't know he was with Annie. He really didn't need him to know that given their past associations, he didn't want Alan making rude comments about her or spreading things about Annie's drug use around the office. Of course he could always retaliate by pointing out that Alan knew Annie from NA, but he really didn't want to get into that messiness. He wanted to put in his time and then get the hell out of this place.

He said calmly, "I don't think we have anything in common anymore. But we can be civil at work; that I don't have a problem with."

Alan glanced up and met his gaze. "I met a girl, and we hit it off. We've been seeing each other for the past few weeks. I asked her to marry me."

Jeff nodded condescendingly. "When was this?"

"Last night."

Jeff sighed and leaned back in his chair, cradling his head and crossing one foot over the other knee. He was aware his tendency to enjoy a juicy tale was getting the better of him, but he supposed there was no harm.

"Oh, now I have to hear this story."

X

X

X

Annie slowly walked through the Greendale hallway, tightening her smile as she contemplated what she needed to do. She told herself it would all be okay, that she would make sure it was brief and that she remained professional. Calm, cool, and collected.

Shirley came up to her side and cooed, "I am so excited for the indoor puppy parade. Do you think Ruffles will want to come and watch?"

"Ruffles?" Her head felt foggy all of a sudden, and she could barely comprehend what Shirley was talking about.

Shirley prattled on, "She's in Professor Duncan's class, right? Why, he could bring her over, and maybe Sophie could leave daycare for an hour, and I could have my mama bring Ben. It would be so fun!" She clapped her hands together in front of her large purse and grinned.

Annie nodded absentmindedly, and Shirley took note. She arched a brow and pulled Annie off to the side near the drinking fountain. She motioned for Annie to get some water, and Annie followed her instructions, barely registering what she was doing.

After she stood, Shirley asked, "What is it, pumpkin?"

Annie let her eyes roam over the various students passing by and said, "Oh, nothing. I just need to talk to Professor Cornwallis about letting me and Jeff be excused from class next Friday. The social worker wants to do the last visit then."

"I'm sure he'll understand if you explain it."

"Right."

A bell sounded, and Shirley jumped. "Oh, I'm so sorry! My business class! I hope to heaven Pierce held my seat!" She patted Annie on the shoulder in an attempt at encouragement and then shuffled off.

Annie was left by herself in an increasingly empty corridor. Class was now in session, but she was free and she knew Professor Cornwallis held office hours at this time. She suddenly realized she was standing a mere few feet from his office. She took a deep breath and walked over.

She knocked.

"Come in."

She took another breath and then opened the door, stepping inside while leaving the door cracked. She had learned her lesson from last time.

Professor Cornwallis was seated at his desk, reading a book. He frowned as he looked up, and his expression morphed into one of unnerving and intense interest. He motioned for her to sit, and she did.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" He took off his reading glasses and placed them to the side.

Annie inwardly cringed at his condescending and flirtatious tone and replied with a matter-of-fact demeanor, "Hello. I wanted to ask if Jeff Winger and I could be excused from class next Friday. We have an important meeting we need to attend."

She stiffened as she noticed him close his book. She had hoped this would be a quick conversation.

"You and Mr. Winger? Why, I don't know…."

She said quickly, "We could do a makeup assignment! Or take an extra test! Or make a diorama!"

He squinted at the mention of diorama and then sighed. "You and Mr. Winger? Hmm…that's intriguing." He began to tap his chin. "What pray tell is this important meeting?"

She concentrated on keeping herself as serious as possible. While she didn't really want Professor Cornwallis to know much about her personal life, she supposed it was a reasonable question in the circumstance. Once again she told herself that he had just been misguided and surely knew now after she had rejected his advances that they were in a strict student-teacher professional relationship.

She decided to be as forthcoming as possible, hopeful he would understand the predicament and grant her request. She said, "It's the only time our social worker can come by to for a visit. It's the last one before we can move ahead with the adoption proceedings, and if we don't do it now we'll have to wait for several more weeks."

"Adoption?"

She realized he didn't really know anything about her. She supposed the question made sense, again in the circumstance. She explained, "Oh! Jeff and I got married right before Thanksgiving. He's going to adopt my daughter."

At this news, Professor Cornwallis tilted his head. He placed his elbows on the desk and his hands in almost a prayer pose, leaning forward so he could study her face.

She told herself it was her face.

"You and Mr. Winger are … married?"

"Yes."

"I had no idea you were involved. But then again, I did notice you two are particularly flirtatious with each other."

She couldn't read his tone, but his expression was one of intensity. She gulped and then said, "We've been living together for awhile."

"I see." He paused and then mused, "You don't think he's a little old for you?"

She felt herself becoming incensed at the line of questioning. It certainly was none of his business, but she felt helpless as how to address it. He was her professor, and he had the power to give her whatever grade he wanted, and he could deny her request. He could even fail Jeff and then Jeff wouldn't be able to graduate in the spring. His hopes of starting his own firm would be crushed.

Deciding to just put up with it, she explained, "He is a little older, but really, I also have a child, so I'm not exactly fitting in with my age group, but anyway about being excused…"

-"I had no idea you had a child."

Puzzled as to why he said that, given she had mentioned her daughter, she briefly wondered if he was fully listening to her. He did seem to get distracted when she mentioned being married to Jeff.

"Yes, she's three."

"So you have been up to things at such a _young_ age." He smirked as he continued to stare at her intently. He added, "And you like older men."

Annie braced herself, feeling her skin on her back crawl.

He then made his request once again.

"May I rub your feet?"

Conscious of becoming a light headed, she said in a trembling voice, "I told you before. I don't feel that is appropriate. No."

He lowered his head and continued staring at her for a few moments. He then rose and walked past her, shutting the door completely.

He turned back to face her and asked once more, "May I rub your feet?"

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Next up: Intro to Knots, sans gas leak. Oh, and there will be plenty of rope. No worries on that front.**

 **#metoo**


	25. Into to Knots

**Chapter 25: Intro to Knots**

Summary: Sans gas leak, the study group deals with Professor Cornwallis

xxxxxx

A/N: Apologies for the delay! It's a massive chapter, so hopefully that makes up for it. :)

xxxxxx

Annie tore down the hallway, clutching the straps of her backpack as her mascara ran down her cheeks. She knew she probably looked like a lunatic, and while somewhat aware she shouldn't be embarrassed by that given the circumstances, she felt so anyway. But thankfully no one was around, as class was still in session. She spied the Administration office up ahead and quickened her pace, eager to get within the safety of its familiar walls.

She stepped inside and let the glass door close behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she was relieved that he hadn't followed her. She doubted he would want to make a scene, and she certainly had tried to make a scene.

She plopped her backpack down behind the desk and sat in her chair, her eyes still watering. She thought through what had just transpired, both impressed with herself and scared about the ramifications of her actions. She had screamed to high heaven; her mother would have been proud.

If she had had a stiletto she would have smashed it into his balls.

Of course that probably would have made things worse, but they probably weren't that great as it was. He now knew she was married to Jeff, and while he likely didn't have standing to fail her, it probably wouldn't take much for him to make the argument that Jeff deserved to fail History.

If Jeff failed History he wouldn't graduate.

Her heart sank at the thought, and she then realized she wasn't able to see the computer screen. She began wiping at her eyes, gasping in shock as she noticed the black smudges on her hands. She reached for her backpack and unzipped the compartment for Sophie's baby wipes, thankful she tended to keep some extra with her.

As she dabbed her eyes, using the reflection in the computer monitor to guide her, the Dean came out of his office and startled.

"Why Annie, I didn't think you were on until next hour." He moved over to face her, and she quickly swiveled her chair away while frantically wiping her eyes.

She mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Oh, that's okay. You know you're always welcome here." His smile then faltered as he realized her demeanor. Stepping over to catch sight of her swollen face, he gasped and said, "Oh, Annie, what's wrong?"

She sniffed and looked up at him, noticing he involuntarily cringed at the sight of her. She swatted the air and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I was just upset, but I'll be fine. Everything's fine!"

Uncharacteristically silent, he came closer and pulled up a chair. As he sat down, he said, "Did you and Jeffrey get in a fight?"

"No, it's not about Jeff." She sniffed some more, but found herself relaxing a little. She was starting to feel safe.

"What happened?"

Her voice quivering, she said, "I don't know if it'll do any good to tell you."

"Try me. I'm your Dean."

His words continued to help her feel calmer. He was her Dean, and while he had his shortcomings, he had always demonstrated that he had her back. She knew she could trust him. She glanced toward the main office door and seeing no one, turned back to him and said in a low voice, "I have a problem."

"Go on."

She took a deep breath and then, smiling slightly, said, "I went to see one of my professors to ask if I could miss a class and do a makeup assignment, and he was…." she hesitated a moment before adding, " _inappropriate_ with me."

She looked up at the Dean, noticing he had gone paler in color, something she hadn't been sure was possible. She searched his face for some reaction, some sense that he understood and would take the matter seriously.

After a few moments of heavy silence, he cleared his throat and asked with a slight squeak, "What do you mean by _inappropriate?_ "

Her voice softer than she would have liked, she replied, "He asked me to….oh god….he asked me a few weeks ago, but at first I pretended I didn't hear him, then I pretended I didn't understand, and then I finally said no I didn't think that would be appropriate, and he stopped and said okay, but this time he closed the door, and he wouldn't let me leave, and he insisted…..he wanted me to let him rub…."

-"You don't need to say it."

"My feet."

At her final word, the Dean moved his head back and frowned. "Your _feet?"_

"Yes."

"Now why on earth?"

She threw up her hands in incredulity and shouted, "I don't know! I assume it was some sort of…" she moved down to a hissing whisper as she said, "sexual thing."

"He propositioned you for sex?"

She bowed her head and began studying her hands in her lap as she ripped up the wet wipe. She suddenly felt irrationally stupid. She mumbled, "Well, no. I don't know if he would have done that; I didn't let him rub my feet."

"Oh well, then everything's okay."

She shot her head up and glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

The Dean cocked his head and placed his hand on his chest as he said, "I mean the whole thing sounds _awkward_ , but nothing really happened. You refused and he backed off."

"I refused a few weeks ago and this time I had to scream. And then I pushed past him and ran."

"Oh my."

"Yes, _oh my."_

She felt herself becoming incensed, and then an alarming and growing part of her began to be consumed with self-doubt. After all, he hadn't followed her, and technically nothing had _happened._

She took a sharp intake of air and decided to articulated one of her fears. "I'm concerned he might try to mess with my grade since I refused him."

The Dean shook his head and smiled slightly, which irritated her. He said, "Your grade? Why Annie, if I saw anything less than an _A_ on your transcript, I'd change the grade myself and put that professor _on notice_! You have absolutely nothing to worry about. You're one of our top students."

She felt a burning sensation in her chest as she began to realize the hopelessness of the situation. He was probably right that Professor Cornwallis wouldn't alter her grade. But that wasn't her main concern.

She said, her voice in a tremble, "I guess you're right, but I'm worried about Jeff's grade. I think he might try to fail him because I said no."

At these words, the Dean sat up straighter and began to hum, tapping his knee with one hand. Finally, he said, "That would be much more difficult to prove."

"I know."

"Well, isn't this peachy."

She finally managed to ask the question she felt she shouldn't have to ask.

"Don't you even want to know which professor?"

She readily noticed his evasive gaze. Of course the Dean wouldn't do anything about this, as he was known to be conflict avoidant, and despite his sunny disposition and frequent declarations of taking care of his students, she was suddenly and completely aware that he would not help her. She began to ball up the wet wipes in anger.

He noticed and said quickly, "Annie, you have to understand this could be very messy. We have a teaching shortage as it is…."

-"I thought you'd protect me. I wish someone would."

His face sank at her words and he said, "I'm sorry. Yes, please tell me who it is and I will have a chat with him."

"No disciplinary action?"

"I'll talk with him first."

She felt the tears well, and it was then the outer office door opened. They both looked up to see Professor Hickey pushing through the entryway.

"Christ almighty. Craig, someone was screaming, but I can't find anyone in the halls."

"Buzz, could you please come back later? I'm in the middle of something here."

Hickey stopped short at the sight of them. His eyes went to Annie's, and he immediately began to shake.

She sniffed, "Sorry." She looked down and continued to knead the wet wipe, finding that she was rapidly losing the energy to fight anymore.

"You're the one who screamed."

His matter of fact tone hit her in a way nothing else seemed to since she had left Cornwallis' office. She was snapped back to reality. Someone had heard her. It had happened. She wasn't crazy or delusional. And even if Cornwallis didn't fail Jeff, what he did was not okay.

Not okay in the slightest.

Hickey barged behind the desk, and at the Dean's attempts to shoo him away, sneered and then pulled up a chair. He sat and stared at Annie, waiting until she lifted her head.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

x

x

x

Jeff's phone buzzed as he sat in the cafeteria with Abed, waiting for Annie. She was over twenty minutes late for lunch, and he knew she had to attend the administration desk soon. He picked up his phone, expecting to see a message from her, but instead was greeted with a different text:

[Unknown number]: It's Hickey. Meet me in the Dean's office ASAP.

X

Jeff and Abed made their way toward Administration, Jeff growing intensely worried about what he would encounter once he got there. He tried to tell himself if Annie were hurt, they would have told him; this had to be something else.

"This is a tense moment, Jeff. Tell us your thoughts."

He turned his head toward Abed, and suddenly realizing he was holding a camera in his face, scowled and then resumed looking straight ahead.

"Don't film his."

"Film what?"

"Stop. Please."

Abed brought the camera down and continued walking by his side.

X

Jeff knocked and then immediately opened the door to the Dean's office. Annie was sitting on the couch with Hickey in a chair near her and the Dean seated behind his desk. He immediately noticed her red eyes and smudged makeup, his heart rate rising even more as he silently began to panic.

Hickey lifted his head and said, "Have a seat." He motioned for Jeff to sit down next to Annie on the couch.

Annie smiled half-heartedly at the sight of him and said, "I'm fine."

As he sat down, he took her hands in his. "Are you?"

"Yeah, um, pretty much. I was just upset."

Jeff knew that this could not possibly be a matter of Annie simply being upset. True, he had seen her become seemingly irrationally furious over the loss of her purple pen, but in hindsight that was even understandable, given what he later realized was the significance of the pen to her. He was also aware that Hickey seemed to be taking this matter seriously, and everyone at Greendale was well aware that Hickey never liked to butt into other people's business. He knew he had a soft spot for Annie, but even that wouldn't explain his current demeanor, which seemed to be one of intense focus with a hint of rage. The guy's hands were trembling. It was barely noticeable, but Jeff saw it.

Hickey then seemed to realize Abed was in the room, closing the door behind them. At Hickey's glare, Abed clarified, "I'm closing the door for privacy."

Jeff explained, "He came with me."

Annie, glancing at Hickey with concern, quickly added, "I don't mind if Abed's here."

Hickey merely grunted and then asked, "Annie, you wanna update Jeff, or I could?"

"Um, I can." She gave him a nod of confidence and then addressed Jeff. She gulped before she said in as calm of tone as she could muster, "I went to talk with Professor Cornwallis about us missing class next week, and he behaved inappropriately with me. I didn't want to upset you, so I didn't tell you about this before, but he did the same thing a few weeks ago. I told him no then and this time he was insistent so I ended up screaming and running out of his office."

Jeff stared at her completely dumbfounded. He took a moment to let the information sink in. Cornwallis was a snooty prick to be sure, but he had no idea the guy was a sexual harasser (rapist?). He felt a burning in the pit of his stomach as it dawned on him that he had readily agreed to let Annie talk to the guy alone. It never occurred to him not to; Annie was so good at kissing up to professors, he didn't even question that a professor would take advantage of that. And why hadn't she told him what had happened a few weeks ago?

 _Wait…what happened?_

He asked aloud, "What did he do?"

She smiled slightly and replied, "He asked if he could rub my feet. Look, I know that might not seem like a big deal, but…"

-"What the hell?!"

"Jeff…"

"He asked if he could rub your feet? That's creepy and gross."

"Thank you. I agree." She then nodded decisively and appeared to regard him with an esteem she usually reserved for when he was making a Winger speech or being nice to Britta.

Hickey scooted forward in his chair and said, "Noel's a pervert. Craig just told me he was kicked out of Oxford last year for having an inappropriate relationship with one of his students." He sent a glare over to the Dean and added, "Way to pick your faculty, Craig."

The Dean placed one hand lightly on his chest and said in a soft voice, "Now, Buzz, it may have been consensual. And I probably shouldn't have divulged that sensitive information."

Hickey immediately sneered at him. He barked, "It's not _consensual_ in either case, whether the student agreed or not! Due to the power differential, a student can't consent to a relationship with a teacher. You should know that."

"Well, Ian and Britta…"

-"He's no longer her teacher. Even he knew better than to take things any further while she was in his classroom."

"Good point."

Jeff turned his attentions back to Annie, feeling her squeeze his hands. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm afraid he might take my refusal out on you, by failing you or something."

Jeff let her words sink in, and he was honestly pretty horrified that she was even thinking about him during all of this. Annie always looked up to her teachers, and now one had used his power to try to take advantage of her. He pushed down the thought that Adam had done something similar even if Annie had been willing and smitten with him. Hickey was absolutely right; there was no way a student could consent to a sexual relationship with a teacher.

True, he had entered into a relationship with Michelle, but that really was consensual. He had actively pursued her, and she had initially rebuffed his advances. While they didn't begin their relationship in the ideal way, they were eventually honest with the Dean and removed Michelle from a position where she needed to evaluate him or hold any power over his academic career. He knew better than to bring any of this up in the moment, of course, certain that the Dean was having difficulty enough as it was figuring out how to properly conceptualize and address the situation.

This was clearly a case of Professor Cornwallis being a creep.

He said to Annie, "Don't worry about me. We'll make the bastard pay."

The Dean interjected, "As I explained to Annie, I'm going to talk to him, and we'll clear this whole thing up." He picked up his phone. "I'll just give him a call and tell him to come down here."

At his words, Annie's eyes widened in fear. She involuntarily let out a squeak, and Jeff asked, "Can I take her somewhere first, or does she have to be here for this?"

Hickey said, "Annie, you can go. I'll stay here with Craig and co-lead this interrogation."

"Now, Buzz? Interrogation?! Surely, it's not…"

"Interrogation."

X

X

Annie sat with her head against Jeff's chest, feeling a slew of emotions wash over her. She had been alternating between fear and anger for about an hour now, and the adrenaline was taking its toll. She lifted her head and smiled at him.

He returned her expression as he continued to run his fingers through her hair.

Abed was tapping a pencil against the low table in front of them, as he was seated on the couch opposite.

"Can you please stop that?"

"Sorry." Abed ceased his tapping and glanced at his camera. "I wish they would have let me stay. I could really use this as research for any crime dramas I might pursue in future projects."

"Right. Cause that's the most important thing."

Abed tilted his head and addressed Jeff. "You think I don't care, but I do. Annie is very important to me. She's a member of my study group and the lead in my current project. I want Professor Cornwallis to get the chair."

"He's not going to be executed."

"I know. I was just trying out that line."

Annie placed her hand on Jeff's chest to steady him, noticing he had been tensing as he had been speaking to Abed. She pushed herself up into a seated position and said, "I'm glad you're both here by my side."

As she smiled slightly at Abed, he made a gunning gesture at her and winked.

X

X

Hickey and the Dean came into the study room a little while later, making sure to secure the doors and then join Annie, Jeff, and Abed near the sofas.

As Hickey lowered himself into a chair, he groaned, "Well that was a bust."

Annie frowned. "He denied it?"

"Yup."

She gasped, "But he did it! He was so creepy!"

Hickey nodded and was about to say something when the Dean interjected, "He says he may have mentioned something about your _shoes;_ he says he was admiring them, thinking of buying his daughter a pair for Christmas and that you misunderstood. He seemed very apologetic if he caused you and undue distress."

"He asked to _rub_ my feet!"

Jeff felt his blood boil and he snapped, "Dean, you can't possible believe that."

"Well of course not, but he was very convincing…"

"Seriously?" Jeff leaned forward and said, "Abed, hand me something to hit the Dean over the head with."

"Gotcha Jeff." As Abed reached into his satchel, Hickey lurched forward and smacked his arm.

Seemingly otherwise unreactive, Abed said, "I was just assaulted by a teacher."

"Shut up."

Abed widened his eyes and then let out a low sarcastic whistle but made the decision to stay silent.

Hickey turned back to Annie and Jeff and said, "He's a slimy one, all right. I could tell he was lying, but he's very practiced. The shoe story was a smooth way to acknowledge something was said but then place the blame all on you."

"I can't possibly go to my next class with him!"

Hickey let out a grunt and then clasped his hands in front of him. He bowed his head, and they all waited as he appeared to think through something. He finally spoke.

"I have a plan."

"Plan?" Annie felt a rush of excitement, for she had confidence in Buzz Hickey.

"I have rope."

X

X

X

"Are we sure this is the best idea?"

Jeff asked the question for the seemingly thousandth time since they had devised their plan. He didn't want the creep in their apartment, and he didn't want him anywhere near Annie. But Annie had been insistent, even being the one who offered their apartment as the ideal location for their sting operation.

Oh yes, this was a sting operation. Abed had been referring to it as such on several occasions. Hickey didn't even roll his eyes anymore and seemed to intensely focus on procuring supplies and recording equipment.

Annie had quickly emailed Professor Cornwallis to apologize for her behavior, stating she had been having a stressful day and was reconsidering the makeup assignment she would need to do so that she would be allowed to miss class that next Friday. She shared she had talked over the situation with Jeff and that they both agreed she could complete the assignment as requested so that they would both maintain their class standings.

The whole wording made Jeff want to vomit, but Hickey had coached Annie on the phrasing, stating that Cornwallis was likely to read between the lines and think she and Jeff were agreeing to his terms.

They had pulled Ian into the scheme, obtaining his consultation on Cornwallis' psychology. He agreed that a guy like Cornwallis would obtain an ego boost from thinking that Annie's husband would agree to Cornwallis rubbing her feet in exchange for a grade. It would be a way to humiliate Jeff and assert his dominance. He then muttered something about taking comfort that he would be the only true British professor left on campus if this scheme were successful.

To Jeff's mild surprise, Annie's eyes had flared at the thought of using Cornwallis' own narcissism to take him down. So Jeff got out of her way and let her send the damn email. He then mustered up his best fake smile in class as he knew arrangements were being made for Cornwallis to come over to their apartment that weekend.

Of course they clued in all of the study group members. They were all incensed at what had been done to Annie and eager to help. Troy threatened to punch Cornwallis but then was quickly calmed by the thought of helping shove him into something at the appropriate time. Britta and Shirley agreed to be as sweet as pie to Cornwallis and provide Annie with emotional support during the event, and then there was Pierce.

Pierce seemed pretty upset that Annie was looking to Hickey as a mentor and savior.

"Am I being replaced?"

Annie frowned and walked over to him in the study room. She tilted her head and said, her voice full with concern, "Of course not. I'll always need you."

"Will you?" Pierce sighed almost wistfully as he glanced over at Hickey sitting amongst their friends at the study table, hammering out plan details. Pierce had removed himself from the proceedings a few moments ago, feeling useless, and had been muttering under his breath near the couches. He was surprised Annie could hear him.

"I need you now."

"But Professor Hickey? He's the one with the plan, not silly old me."

Annie's lip quivered as she continued to look up at him. She said, "I need you to help with this plan. You've been here since the beginning."

"You've always been my favorite."

Before Annie could cry, Abed joined them. She startled at his appearance by her side, for she hadn't heard him leave the table.

He said with a frankness that probably wasn't needed in the situation, "Hickey is a more lovable character. True, he's gruff, but he's not racist or sexist. The audience likes him better, plus he's more reliable. He shows up in the scenes in which he is written, or at times he takes the place of Pierce who at this point in the narrative would make more sense to be involved. But Pierce tends to not materialize. Why is that?" He cocked his head and awaited Pierce's response.

Pierce began to stammer, and Annie placed her hand on his forearm and turned toward Abed.

She snapped, "Stop it. You're hurting his feelings."

"He doesn't worry about hurting my feelings, Annie. Isn't that right, Pierce? I'm A-bed the Ah-rab."

"You're a weirdo is what you are."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Please, both of you." She said to Abed, "Professor Hickey says mean things to you too."

Abed shrugged. "I guess it doesn't bother me as much. He didn't try to play mind games with my Troy and sequester him in his mansion, plus he's a fascinating reference for my next project, which I think will be a detective film noir or perhaps a buddy cop show, with me as the buddy. Pierce would be terrible as a detective."

At this, Pierce stepped forward with clenched fists. In a raised voice, he said, "Shut your mouth or I'll leave everything in my will to Troy and tell him he needs to sail around the world for a couple years before he can inherit."

"You wouldn't."

"I would. Then we'll see who's miserable. Yes, then we'll see."

Before Abed could respond, Jeff had leapt to his feet and joined them. He slapped his hand on Piece's shoulder and said, "We have a very special role for you, Pierce. Please come over to the table so that we can fill you in."

X

X

"Stupid Hickey. I have rope too, you know."

Shirley sighed as she stepped on a stool to hang the garland in Jeff and Annie's living room. "Pierce, stop having a pity party."

"I'm not."

"Really? Wouldn't it make sense for you to do this rather than me? I'm a foot and a half shorter than you." She glared down at him, and he shifted uncomfortably from his spot.

Flinging down his rope, he motioned for the garland, and Shirley smiled sweetly and gently stepped down from the stool. She glanced down at the object now on the floor and made a tssking sound before bending down to pick it up and regard it.

"Now what is this?"

"It's rope."

She squinted at the gnarled mess in her hands. "There are so many knots. We can't use this." Pausing to consider something, she added, "Not that I'm quite clear on what we need rope for anyway. I thought Annie was going to record his confession. But we can't coerce it out of him, can we? It wouldn't hold up."

Hearing Annie's question, Annie left Jeff near the windows where they had been adjusting the curtain, and approached Shirley. She smiled widely and said, "Of course we're not going to tie him up. Bu… _Professor Hickey_ just said that because he was angry. He used to be a police detective. He knows we can't do that." Annie's eyes unnervingly danced as she continued to regard Shirley.

"Well if we need rope, I have rope."

"Stop it, Pierce. And anyway, this is a useless mess."

At Shirley's words, Pierce began to unobtrusively sulk.

Jeff tilted his head in thought for a moment and then asked the room, "Are we sure Profess… _Buzz_ was just saying that about the rope? He seemed pretty convincing."

"Jeff!" Annie gasped and then added, "Professor Hickey is upright and professional." She puffed out her chest slightly in indignation.

"Sure he is." Jeff finished adjusting the drapes and then joined them over by the garland. "You want to add more Hanukkah stuff to offset the Christmas crap?"

Annie nodded while ignoring Shirley's glare.

He added, "You really want to have this be an actual holiday party?"

She grinned. "Yes, because I'm hoping we will all have something to celebrate by the end of this. We can get rid of our History professor, obtain a proper substitute teacher, and then all receive proper grades."

"So you're okay if the Dean is our temporary teacher? Cause I don't know what else he's going to come up with at this stage."

"Yes," She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Or whomever he chooses to act as a replacement for the remainder of the semester."

"You remember he had Duncan fill in for Anthropology, right? That was kind of a disaster."

She shrugged and strutted over to a chair to fluff a pillow, and he followed, regarding her with amusement. She fluttered her lashes and looked up at him with a questioning tilt of the head.

He placed his hands in his pockets and chuckled before saying, "You're really into this."

"Into what?" She looked down and continued to fluff.

He leaned forward and captured her eye. In a teasing tone, he said, "This idea of a sting. It's a mad caper you're totally and completely into."

She said in an almost whisper, "Well, maybe we could launch a caper every once in awhile, mister."

He licked his lips and was about to lean forward when Shirley's loud _ahem_ interrupted them.

"Good Lord in Heaven."

"Hey, we're married." He shrugged with a smirk.

"That doesn't mean you can engage in innuendo in front of your friends."

Annie scrunched up her face in confusion. "Innuendo? I literally meant a caper, Shirley."

"You did?"

Before a startled Jeff could ask another follow-up, Britta entered from the hallway holding Sophie's hand.

"She's all ready to see baby Elizabeth."

Annie turned and smiled at Sophie, who was beaming back at her while wearing a pink and purple striped romper and holding her bear. She walked over and bent down to give her a hug. As she pulled back, she said, "You will have so much fun with baby Elizabeth, and then we'll all have a party later."

" _Yeah, I wan pawty."_

"Good."

" _But I really wanna see baby El-iz-beth."_

"Of course, sweetie. Make sure to give her the present we wrapped, okay?"

" _Okay, Mama."_

Jeff joined them and crouched down. He explained, "I'm going to take you over to see her. Let's get your coat."

Sophie nodded and Jeff and Annie stood. Jeff watched Sophie take her coat from Britta's outstretched hands and begin to put it on. He gave Annie a quick kiss and then smirked at Shirley before he turned back to Sophie and said, "Okay, let's go!"

" _I say goodbye to Wuffles?"_

"Yes, of course you can say goodbye to Ruffles."

Sophie started to turn back toward her bedroom, but then stopped and looked up at Jeff. She abruptly asked, _"Daddy, do you think the Hulk's feet are ticklish?"_

Jeff, who was now in the middle of putting on his coat, stopped and squinted. He paused briefly to consider her question and then simply answered, "No."

Sophie's grinned and then screeched, _"Hulk smash!"_ before running out of the room.

Jeff nodded and bit his lip as Shirley, Annie, and Britta giggled.

Pierce remained sulking in the corner.

X

X

Abed cocked his head and stared into the pot on the stovetop.

"Don't do it."

Replying to what he knew was Troy's silly over-caution, Abed explained, "If we need to knock him out, we could easily drop a Mickey into the soup."

Troy frowned but continued to stir. "Professor Hickey didn't say anything about Mickey Mouse."

"I meant a Mickey, as in a roofie."

Troy's eyes widened. "How do you know this stuff?"

"Next up on our watch list will be film noir, Troy."

"Noir? Is that like Blaxploitation films?"

"All the characters are White."

"Then I think I'll pass."

Abed shook his head. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me."

Troy turned to face him and sighed. "Hey, you're not White either. Why do you wanna watch that stuff?"

Abed shrugged and placed a small glass vial back into his pocket. "For research. I need to know how they made racist exclusionary films to get the genre down. We can always remake one with a cast of color."

At this, Troy nodded emphatically and smirked. He turned back to the soup and said, "Now there's a thought. I like it."

"Cool cool cool."

"No, this soup's pretty warm."

They passed a few minutes in silence, Troy carefully adjusting the temperature on the burner while Abed snooped through the cupboards.

X

X

"Everyone know their roles?"

At Hickey's gravely voiced question, the study group members exchanged nervous glances. They were seated around the living room, Hickey awkwardly crouched in a hard folding chair, his arms draped over the back of it as he leaned forward. He sat in the middle of the room next to the coffee table.

Abed sketched something in his notebook before nodding. He then said, "I think it's good we're doing another sting operation."

Hickey squinted at him in confusion and annoyance. He said, "I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what do you mean by _another_ one?"

Abed cleared his throat and replied, "We conducted a sting with Annie's ex, when he was threatening to take Sophie away from her."

"You're kidding me." Hickey cast Annie a concerned look and took in her nonverbal confirmation before turning his attentions back on Abed.

"No, I'm not kidding. We did. Of course, it didn't go according to plan at all." Abed paused and then dropped his notebook on his lap. With dramatic hand gestures in front of his face, he continued, "Or did it? For unbeknownst to the audience, we had a second plan in mind, the real plan. Britta came in and saved the day, and we made sure Sophie was safe from a drug-addicted loser."

He accepted Troy's hand squeeze and then gently pet Troy's shoulder as he broke out in sobs.

"We couldn't let anything happen to Sophie!"

"Of course not, Troy." Abed continued to pat Troy's back in a way he had seen others comfort each other.

Hickey turned back toward Annie, who was tearing up herself as she leaned into Jeff's side. He said in a low and steady voice, "I'm impressed."

She smiled weakly and let out a quick laugh. "It was something we had to do. And my friends all came through for Sophie. I trust they can do this." She then sat up straighter and said to everyone, "Thank you guys, for being willing to help me with this, too."

Britta gasped, "Annie! Of course we're going to help. It's not your fault Cornwallis is a jackass. And we don't want him anywhere near Greendale. This is the only way we can make sure he gets fired."

"Thanks, Britta."

Hickey asked once more, "Does everyone know their roles?"

X

X

The evening proceeded. Worried that Ruffles would become aggressive, Annie and Jeff stowed her safely with the Dean next door. The Dean was likewise banned and told they were going to try to talk to Cornwallis and get him to confess. The details of the confession, however, were left out, as they didn't want the Dean stopping them or interfering. They all breathed a sigh of relief when he took Ruffles with him back to his apartment.

They had invited Cornwallis to their "holiday party" for the study group, explaining that they were already planning on having an early party before the end of the semester and that they thought it would be lovely if he could attend. Annie then took him aside and explained in a hushed tone that Jeff had wanted her to fulfill her makeup assignment in their bedroom during the party. At this, Cornwallis had raised his brows and clarified, again in whispers, that he was merely asking to rub her feet.

Before Annie could react, he added in a low voice, "Of course if you'd like to proceed further, we could always arrange another time later on, perhaps right before final exams. I could get a hotel."

Annie smiled tightly and the batted her eyelashes a little too forcefully as she said, "I'll talk it over with Jeff."

"You do that. I'm sure he wants to do well in class. I hear he's planning to graduate in the spring."

Annie thought back over the exchange as she stood in their bedroom. She stared at the bed and stiffened as Jeff came up behind her put his arms around her.

"You don't have to do this."

"I want to take the son of a bitch down."

"Yell for me if he tries anything."

"I won't have to. I'm wearing a wire, remember?" She turned and flashed him a little, moving down her buttoned dark green dress so he could see both the top of her boob and a dark black wire.

He nodded. "I see. Don't let him see it. Or your boob."

She buttoned up the dress and glared at him, "Of course not. God, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Morning sickness?"

She snapped her head up in incredulity that he would bring this up now, but at his hesitant and vulnerable expression, she softened her stance and said, "I meant because of what we're doing today. It's too early to know that, Jeff. "

His eyes widened slightly and he affected a nonchalant scoff. "Right. Of course, I knew that."

Before she could respond, Hickey creaked the door open and said, "I think he's here."

X

X

They stashed Hickey and his spy equipment in the bathtub, curtain encasing it in case Cornwallis walked by. The rest of the study group arranged themselves casually yet awkwardly around the living room and dining area.

Annie steadied herself and then walked to the door. She opened it and greeted their hopefully temporary professor.

"Hi, Professor Cornwallis. We're so glad you could make our party."

"Of course, Miss Edison." He flashed her a leering smile and then stepped inside.

She took his coat and he ventured in further, taking in the sight of the group. He announced, "Well, hello everyone. This seems like a cheery party. Alas, I can't stay long. I've got my daughter in town." He glanced at everyone's nervous smiles and, spying a pile of wrapped presents on the coffee table, added, "Didn't want to appear rude. Was I supposed to bring a gift?"

Annie replied with an affected cheeriness, "No, of course not!"

Cornwallis turned toward her and gave a slight nod, his yellowed teeth protruding from under his chapped lips. Annie involuntarily recoiled.

The tense moment was broken as Jeff entered from the kitchen and almost shouted with forced confidence, "Professor Cornwallis. Can I show you around, starting with the bar?"

Cornwallis gave Jeff an intense look that smacked of curiosity and pity. He stepped closer and said, "A lovely place. Very feminine."

Jeff smiled tightly at was he assumed was a jab at his masculinity in allowing his wife to submit herself so he could get pass the class. He pushed down the bile and said simply, "Annie's the decorator in the family."

Cornwallis nodded condescendingly as Jeff poured him a drink. As Jeff was about to hand it to him, he asked, "May I use the loo?"

Jeff kept his eyes off his friends as he heard the faint rumblings. He said, "Of course. Down the hall on your left." He placed the drink on the dining table and gestured down the hall.

"Thank you."

After Cornwallis had closed the bathroom door, the study group members gasped more audibly, and Troy began to emit a series of increasingly higher-pitched whimpers. Jeff lightly smacked him on the side, which caused him a stern look of reproach from Abed.

"You can't hit my boyfriend."

"Are you actually calling him your boyfriend now? I'm always confused with you two. Like are you platonic? Romantic?"

"Yes."

Annie cast Troy a concerned look, and he almost unobtrusively shook his head. She tilted her head in thought.

Jeff, oblivious to the interplay, said to the whole group, "Now, let's not panic. Just because Hickey's in the bathtub does not mean we're screwed."

Abed said, "I agree with Jeff. If this all goes south, we can always go to plan B, which given our past sting operation, will turn out even better and more exciting and less icky for the audience."

Jeff turned toward him. "Abed, I hate to break this to you, but we don't have a plan B this time."

Abed merely shook his head with a wry smile and scuttled off toward the dining area.

Pierce stepped forward and held his gnarled mess of fibers above his head. Almost manically, he said to Jeff, "I have rope!"

"Shhhh…guys, I hear the sink." Britta slunk back in to the room, for she had followed Cornwallis down the hall.

Jeff rolled his eyes. "At least he washes his hands."

They resumed their "natural" poses.

Annie approached Cornwallis and handed him the drink Jeff had poured. She smiled sweetly and said, "I'm so happy you're here. We were all saying how nice it's been to have you as a professor this semester."

She ignored Jeff's eye rolls from in back of Cornwallis and decided to lay it on even thicker, just for the sake of it. She wanted to take the bastard down. "I'm really hoping we call do well in the class, but with you as our professor, why I know we'll all get the grades we've worked hard for."

"Well, you, Miss Edison, I have a feeling you'll pull of an _A_."

"Really? Why, that would be terrific."

"Care to give me a tour?"

Annie knew the second phase of their plan was kicking in. She turned to Jeff and said, "Jeff, I'm going to show the professor around. Would you mind getting the hors d'oeuvres out for everyone? We'll be back in a little bit."

Cornwallis winked at Jeff as he finished off his drink and placed it back on the table.

X

X

Annie joined Cornwallis on the bed. She gingerly sat down, making sure to keep her breathing regular. She supposed it didn't matter if he suspected she were nervous; after all, part of his thrill was that he was getting her to do something against her will, with her husband's explicit permission. She turned toward him and caught him eyeing her with curiosity.

"What is it?"

He laughed. "You needn't be nervous, Miss Edison. You're merely showing me your apartment."

"Right." She felt her cheeks redden as she asked, "So, um, if I…." she glanced down at her feet and then looked back up and continued, "I get an _A_?"

"You deserve an _A_."

She realized that wasn't good enough for the recording. She said, "So if I let you rub my feet, you'll pass Jeff?"

Cornwallis stared at her for moment, seemingly bemused. He then cleared his throat and said, "You needn't worry. Your husband is getting an _A_ in the class as well. See?"

At this, Annie's eyes widened and she suddenly stood. Turning to face him completely, she clenched her fists and yelled, "No!"

It was at this that Jeff and Hickey burst into the room.

X

X

It was quickly determined that the whole sting was a bust. Annie hadn't gotten Cornwallis to confess to anything explicitly, as she had stopped the conversation too short for them to have anything definitive. He hadn't actually stated he would grant a grade in exchange for the favor; he had merely stated that Jeff and Annie were getting _A_ 's.

But Hickey and Jeff and thought Annie was in danger, and as they rapidly realized what she was ranting about, they both became somewhat despondent.

"An _A_?! You're going to give Jeff an _A_?!"

Cornwallis was now frozen in shock as he stared at Hickey and Jeff.

At his lack of reply, Annie took a step closer and lowered her face a little so that she could look him in the eye. She barked, "Look at me."

His eyes still wide, Cornwallis slowly turned his head back to face her. He instinctively gulped and shirked a little under her intense gaze.

She stepped even closer and jabbed her finger into his chest as she hissed, "You're going to give Jeff an _A_ when he's been lazily writing up garbage for his assignments all semester whereas _I've_ been working my butt off? That's outrageous!"

"Well….I….suppose….." Jeff, who by now pushed his way between them, cut off Cornwallis, who was now wobbling slightly as he sat on the bed, from his stammer.

Jeff held one palm firmly against Cornwallis' chest and the other on Annie's shoulder. As he continued to feel the pressure of Annie against him, for she was still staring daggers at Cornwallis, he snapped, "Annie! What the hell are you doing?!"

"He's being completely unethical."

At these words, Jeff dropped his hands and turned abruptly to fully face her, crossing his arms over his chest. As she started to fall forward, she steadied herself and looked up at him with an intensity he thought she reserved for lost pens or her mother.

He gasped, "Unethical? Yes, Annie, he is being _unethical_ , which is why we hatched this scheme in the first place." He squinted down at her as he added, "And I notice you seem to be more upset at the idea that he would grant me an _A_ rather than the idea he coerced you into letting him rub your feet…"

-"It was supposed to be so you wouldn't fail, Jeff. You don't deserve an _A._ _I_ deserve an _A._ "

Jeff was left momentarily and uncharacteristically speechless. He continued to regard her as if she were an alien and Hickey stepped forward, finally speaking to save them from this awkward moment.

"We've got to move to plan B."

Jeff snapped his head in Hickey's direction with a questioning look. It was news to him there was even a plan B, but he supposed nothing should surprise him. Hickey did seem like a man to have secrets.

Hickey, now sporting an unnerving almost grin, walked over to where Cornwallis continued to sit dumfounded and woozy on the bed. Keeping his eyes on Cornwallis, he touched his ear and grunted, "Abed, get my rope."

Cornwallis suddenly fell unconscious against the pillows.

X

X

"So, Abed drugged Cornwallis."

Jeff said these words more to himself than to anyone else and continued to stand far off as he watched the study group members follow Hickey's instructions, Annie eagerly listening to everything and half-squealing with delight.

Pierce and Hickey were grappling with the rope, Shirley attempting to grab another end as Britta rolled Cornwallis' limp form down the bed.

Hickey sneered at Pierce, "What the hell is this?!" He held the gnarled mess up.

Pierce replied confidently, "You're not the only one who has rope."

"Oh for crying out loud, this ain't rope. It looks like a scouring pad. Fine for scrubbing pots, but we ain't scrubbing pots tonight. We're scrubbing brains."

"She's my favorite."

Hickey frowned at Pierce's words, as Shirley stepped in between them and said sweetly with a hint of menace, "Pierce, this isn't the time to get into this. You and Professor Hickey can discuss Annie later."

Hickey glanced over at Annie in confusion, watching her as she steadfastly assisted Britta in pushing Cornwallis forward so they could obtain access to his hands. He then turned back to Pierce and said, "You want to fight about Annie."

"I was here first."

"What is she to you?"

"The daughter I never had. And although Jeffrey and I have had our differences, I did end up giving him my blessing to pursue her. But she doesn't need another father. She knows if things with Jeffrey go south, she's always welcome to move into my mansion."

Hickey hesitated for a moment and then said, "That's marvelous. I'm not lookin' for no daughter, but even if I were, we all know Annie has a father, since we all met him on Thanksgiving." He squinted at Pierce and stepped closer as he said, "And since we're both here, my guess is Annie needs both of our help, but if you continue providing me with completely useless material," he held up the gnarled rope as he continued, "then you might as well leave."

"I should leave?"

"If you don't help."

"So you need my help?"

"Oh for…."

Shirley loudly cleared her throat. "Yes, Pierce. We need you desperately."

"Well, why didn't you say so?"

x

x

"I'm gonna punch him in the balls."

"Troy." Britta firmly placed her hand on his arm to stop him from approaching Cornwallis' unconscious form, now encased in what seemed liked a ridiculous amount of rope. He was seated in a chair in the living room, his head slumped forward and arms behind him.

"But I was told I could shove him."

"You already shoved him, remember?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't know it." Troy glared at Cornwallis but then sighed and stepped back. He turned to expect Abed by his other side, but then noted Abed was standing firmly next to Hickey, taking notes.

Hickey said as he popped his knuckles, "I'm gonna crack his neck."

Annie smiled nervously with a hint of excitement and asked, "Really?"

Hickey, ignoring Abed's move toward him as he turned to face Annie on his other side, said, "Metaphorically."

"I see."

Jeff raised his eyebrows and then frowned, but made the tactical decision not to say anything. He placed his hands on Annie's shoulders in an attempt to calm her, but he sensed she was more than getting a little thrill out of this whole thing right now. He had to admit to himself he was impressed.

Hickey pulled up a chair and turned it so its back was facing forward. He straddled and plopped himself in it so he was directly facing Cornwallis.

"Abed, smelling salts."

It was about thirty seconds before Cornwallis came to, letting out some groans and then gasping as he realized what was happening.

"You tied me up!"

"Yes, Noel, we did. Because you're a bastard."

"I'll have you know, I'm not a bastard. I'm also the direct descendent of General…"

-"Sir Charles Cornwallis. Yes, we know. You drive everyone insane in the faculty lounge. God, I hate you."

Cornwallis' eyes widened at Hickey's words, and he gulped. He then realized the whole study group was standing in a half arc behind Hickey, all giving him intense stares. His eyes went to Annie, who stood in front of Jeff and was folding her arms over her chest with a look of gleeful rage.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"That depends."

"I didn't do anything. You'll have to let me go."

"Noel, Noel, Noel. You've been very bad. Miss Edison told me everything, you know."

"And I told you and Craig she was mistaken."

"And she was mistaken tonight as well?"

"Nothing happened tonight."

The Dean slipped in from the entryway, unnoticed by the others. He stood behind Jeff, using his form to hide him, and listened to the proceedings.

Annie glanced at Abed and nodded. He pressed record on a big black box and then crouched down and held the microphone under Cornwallis' mouth. She waltzed over to him and said, "Professor Cornwallis, please tell us what you asked me, Annie Edison, a student in your history class, to do in exchange for a grade."

Cornwallis considered this for a moment and then said, "It doesn't matter what I say. I'm tied up. It's coercion."

"Please tell us anyway."

"Nope."

She stepped closer and asked, "Did you not request that I allow you to rub my feet?" She lifted up her leg to reveal she was no longer wearing her sensible flats. She pointed her toes outward in their stockings, and Cornwallis shivered a little.

He said with a slight tremble, "I may have asked if you would allow me to do that, yes. But you said no, so I stopped."

The Dean began to turn a shade of pink and clenched one of his fists.

Annie nodded and placed her foot back on the floor as she asked, "And then a couple weeks later, I was in your office again, and you asked me if I'd let you rub my feet again, is that not correct?"

"Yes. You came back to see me. I assumed you were interested."

"And did I not keep the door open and you got up and closed it?"

"So we could have some privacy."

"And then I screamed and ran out."

"And then you came back to tell me you had overreacted, and then you invited me here for some private time."

Jeff pushed down the urge to smack the guy, exchanging menacing looks with Troy who was also fuming. He then glanced at Shirley, who for some reason was now holding a baseball bat and muttering things underneath her breath while shaking her head. He briefly wondered if she had smuggled in the bat with her purse.

Seemingly unfazed by Cornwallis' creepiness, Annie flashed a smile and asked, "And when you came here, did you not state that if I let you rub my feet you would give both me and Jeff Winger an _A_ in your class?"

"Well, yes, that was the implication."

"I'd just like you to clarify for us, please. What grade would you have given Jeff Winger if I were to have let you rub my feet?"

"An _A._ "

"You bastard."

Jeff finally stepped forward and said, "Oh, for Christ sake, Annie."

"Shut up, Jeff. We're talking about serious academic abuse of power."

Hickey motioned for Abed to shut off the recording equipment, and he then said, "We have a confession."

Cornwallis let out a short laugh. "You do not! That will never hold up! I'm tied with rope!"

"But it's true?"

"Of course, but no one will ever believe any of you. You're all students in my class who want good grades, and you're a professor who has a reputation for being a whack job. If you have anyone listen to that recording, I'll just explain that you were jealous of me and that you've been threatening me all semester."

"That's not true, Noel."

"I know, but no one else knows. Buzz, I have you beat."

Annie pursed her lips and lightly pushed Jeff to the side as she said, "I know what you did, and everyone in this room knows what you did. Give me the _A_ I deserve, give Shirley an _A_ and everyone else in here their appropriate grades as well, and that means giving Jeff a _C minus_."

"Hey now…" Jeff's face fell.

-"And then resign."

Cornwallis began to chuckle, clearly mocking Annie's seriousness. At this, the Dean finally stepped forward and said, "I'm the Dean, and I've listened to all of this."

"Craig?" Cornwallis stared in almost horror as the Dean moved over and regarded him with an intensity no one had seen before.

"Yes, I know. And frankly, I don't care that you're tied up. This is a team of my scrappy Greendale students, and they've done me proud." He turned toward Annie and said, "Annie, I'm so sorry I didn't handle this properly. Please forgive me?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." He turned back to Cornwallis and said, "You're fired."

"But I'm tied up! I'll sue!"

"I don't see you tied up. Does anyone else see him tied up?"

Everyone murmured their emphatic _nos_."

"See? Easy peasy."

"But….."

"Abed, can you edit out that little part at the beginning of the recording where he talks about being coerced?"

"Got it."

"This is insane! You drugged me and tied me up!"

"There was drugging involved?" The Dean placed one hand lightly on his chest as he turned to regard the whole group. "You guys, I am so _impressed_!"

x

x

Eventually they untied Cornwallis and sent him on his way. He didn't say much, especially after the Dean made a show of getting on the phone and discussing the situation with one of the Greendale attorneys. Everyone began to come down from the high of their caper, and settled in around the coffee table. Jeff and Annie brought out appetizers and drinks for everyone, and then spent some time in the kitchen quietly comforting each other before placing a call to Nancy to ask her to bring Sophie back.

The Dean left and returned with Ruffles as well as a basket full of kittens for some reason. Ruffles seemed to be more than a little intrigued and let out a series of muffled woofs whenever a study group member passed a kitten over to another.

The Dean reached down and plopped Ruffles on his lap. "She was so curious about them next door, but she behaved herself."

"Yeah, she's used to my mom's cats." Jeff leaned back and draped his arm nonchalantly in back of Annie as he watched her complete enthrallment over the small furry creature in her palm.

She grinned. "Sophie's going to be so excited! Jeff, maybe we should keep one."

"Crap."

Shirley leaned forward and asked the Dean, "Who's going to be our new History professor?"

"Ian owes me a favor."

Britta started to say something, but the Dean waived his hand. "Not to worry, Britta, I will grade you."

She frowned as she asked, "Do you know anything about Eastern European History?"

"Nope."

Annie tensed smiled tightly in indignation as Jeff placed his hand on her thigh.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Jeff rose and came back with Sophie in his arms and Nancy trailing them, Elizabeth strapped to her chest.

Jeff smooched Sophie on the cheek and said, "Hey munchkin, look what the Dean brought over."

At the sight of the kittens, Sophie started to squeal and Jeff plopped her on the ground so she could run over to the group. He turned toward Nancy and asked, "Was she okay?"

Nancy laughed, "Yeah, of course." Spying the main attraction, she added, "Hey, you're not keeping all those kittens, right? I mean they're cute, but..you know." She indicated with her head toward Elizabeth and silently mouthed, _"New kittens and new Edison-Winger babies."_

He smirked at the realization that Annie had been chatting with her in regard to their plans, about which he figured he shouldn't be that surprised. He let out a low whistle. "No. The Dean's just a little intense." He bent down a little and patted Elizabeth on the head. "Hey, babyperson."

He motioned for Nancy to join them around the coffee table full of presents. The Dean attempted to hand off a kitten to her, but she politely declined and unwrapped Elizabeth so she could sit on her lap.

As they all ooohed and awed over the kittens (and Sophie playing with the kittens as Ruffles licked her face), Hickey unobtrusively stood and silently made his way out the door.

Glancing around the group, Abed asked, "At nice times like this I wonder what's happening in the darkest timeline?"

X

X

X

Jeff tossed and turned in bed that night, his mind still racing from the day's events and from the happy family time they had all shared that evening.

And Abed's words.

He groaned in pain as he stepped foot into a darkened living room. He quickly spotted Evil!Sophie sitting on the couch, a soft spotlight shining on her as she sat with her tattered bear. No Ruffles was in sight, as there was no Evil!Ruffles in this timeline.

Evil!Sadie, surprisingly strong and advanced for her age, toddled over to Evil!Sophie and smiled at her. But it was an evil smile, and Sophie shook her head through her tears. It was then that Evil!Jeff came over and sat down, pulling Evil!Sadie onto his lap.

Evil!Jeff said with no hint of sensitivity, "You need to play with your baby sister."

" _No._ "

Jeff suddenly felt compelled to act. He stepped forward and revealed himself to a startled Evil!Jeff, who gasped. "Who the hell are you?"

Jeff said emphatically, "I'm you, but I'm not evil. I'm here to take Sophie back with me. I can't leave her here again." He walked over and picked Sophie up, and she instantly began to suck her thumb as she placed her head on his shoulder. He gave her a comforting kiss on the head and murmured, "Everything's okay. I'm going to take you to see Ruffles and Mama."

He began to carefully remove the black felt goatee from her chin.

" _What about Sadie?"_

Startled, he realized she was now looking at her sister, who was in Evil!Jeff's lap and staring at them, her eyes wide and blue like his own, a slightly different shade than Annie and Sophie's. She was now tearful and appeared frightened by Evil!Jeff.

For the first time, he fully saw her. Not as an evil!baby but as a babyperson. She was his babyperson, and she didn't deserve any of this crap.

He suddenly marched over and took her, which was surprisingly easy. Evil!Jeff let out a gasp and stood but didn't attempt to take her back. Jeff shouted at him, "You don't deserve these kids. I'll make sure they're both loved. And I won't play them off each other."

Evil!Jeff sneered, "Sure you won't." He began to flex his mechanical arm, which Jeff all of a sudden realized was pretty stupid and un-menacing.

"I won't."

"But Sadie is _ours_. Even if we won't admit it, we will always favor her."

"That's bullshit."

"She's our blood."

Jeff glanced down at Sadie and Sophie in his arms and their worried but adorable faces and then addressed Evil!Jeff once again. He affected a most sincere Winger speech:

"Tonight I spent time with my found family. We all came together to defeat a villain, and we did it by supporting each other, putting up with each other's shortcomings, and ignoring the fact that we are not blood related. Family is chosen, and I've chosen Sophie. She will always be my family, and I see no difference between her and Sadie. They're both my children, equally."

With that, Jeff left.

It more than a little anti-climatic.

X

Jeff turned over on his side and spied Sophie snuggled between him and Annie. Just to be sure, he gently moved his foot, and felt Ruffles' warm body near the end of the bed. He wrapped his arms around Sophie and Annie, who was sleeping soundly and facing away from them. He stretched to place a kiss on the back of her neck and took a moment to reorient himself to the peacefulness of the present and to the fact that they were all safe and happy. He let his hands wander over her stomach and considered the possibilities that lay before them, and for the first time, he didn't feel neurotic about any of it.

He dozed off with a contented smile on his face.


	26. Intermediate Developmental Psychology

**Chapter 26: Intermediate Developmental Psychology**

Summary: The Greendale Gang finishes up their semester and the Edison-Wingers celebrate Hanukkah

xxxxx

Trigger warning: mention of suicide attempt

xxxxx

After what Abed referred to as the group's Final Caper, the remaining weeks of the semester clipped by. The second social worker visit went smoothly and appeared to be more of a formality than anything else. As promised, the Dean dismissed Cornwallis and refused to give him a positive recommendation for any further teaching jobs he may pursue. Against his protestations, Ian was installed as the new History professor and made it clear that instructing the class was his lowest of priorities.

As Ian kicked back familiarly in his chair with hands behind his head, he remarked, "History. So, what is it?"

Abed raised his hand.

"Yes, Abed?"

Standing and turning to face the classroom, Abed yawned and said, "Is anyone here as bored as I am? Haven't we done this before? I hate it when a show gets stale during its fourth year." Cocking his head to the side, he continued, "I had hoped we would be renewed, but alas, now it's not looking likely."

A paper ball, thrown from the front of the room, promptly hit him in the head.

"Boo-yah!" Ian thumped his fist in the air while still reclining in his non-recliner. "Take that, you weirdo. And please, sit down."

Abed obeyed, and Ian began to totter in his wooden desk chair, laughing nervously as he attempted to feign confidence that it wouldn't topple him to the ground.

Jeff leaned to the side and whispered to Abed, "Hey, everything's okay, buddy. He's just being a jerk. He's sober this time."

"I was hoping to be renewed."

With a sigh as he noticed Abed's defeated posture, he said, "I have full faith we will be renewed."

Abed shook his head. "I don't know, Jeff. I feel like we're getting near the end. What are we supposed to do now, rehash Christmas? I feel we've done so many versions of that at this point, and while I like your mom, come on." He rolled his eyes and continued, "And frankly, I can't see us stretching things out until your graduation in the spring. I mean, and don't take offense at this Jeff, but the audience probably doesn't care that much about watching your graduation ceremony."

Jeff nodded politely.

Abed continued, "I think they would be more interested in seeing your life post-Greendale, hopefully including some of the misfit characters from our current incarnation, and perhaps some development on the Annie front."

Jeff raised his brows. "Annie front? We're married. I'd call that _development_."

"Yeah, but Annie's not on birth control anymore."

Frantically looking around to make sure no one was listening, Jeff hissed, "That's none of your business."

"Isn't it Jeff?"

"Absolutely not."

"Oh."

Troy, who had been sitting on the other side of Abed and humming to himself, leaned over and whispered to Jeff, "Yeah man, are you guys taking any precautions? Cause I got some condoms I'm not using."

Abed shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Jeff pounded his fist on the table and snapped, "Troy!"

Conscious that everyone was now staring at them, and oblivious to the fact that Pierce had been sitting smack in back of him the whole time, Jeff smiled tightly and glanced around the room. He turned slowly to his right to see Annie squinting at him. He whispered through clenched teeth, "How much did you hear?"

"I heard you yell at Troy for some reason." She regarded him with suspicion.

"Anything else?"

"I was talking to Shirley. What did I miss?"

He shrugged and, relieved that no one had seemed to be eavesdropping, rolled his eyes as he said, "Oh, nothing. You know how Troy and Abed are."

Abed slowly leaned forward and made eye contact with Annie. "You know how we are." 

She nodded in confusion and then turned away to resume her conversation with Shirley and Britta, who by now had scooted away from Starburns and joined them. Everyone seemed to be taking full advantage of Professor Duncan's lackadaisical approach to class. Annie cast a quick glance over at him, noticing he was now petting Ruffles in his lap while sipping some tea.

Attempting to ignore the fact that he seemed to use their dog as his mascot for any class he was teaching and that Ruffles seemed to prefer to be with Ian during classroom time, Annie continued her conversation where she had left off before Jeff's yelling:

"So, you really want to throw me a bachelorette party?"

Shirley grinned as she said, "Yes, of course! Brit-ta and I have already discussed some of the options. I was thinking we could go to a nice restaurant and then have mocktails."

Britta scowled and said, "She's lame. We're totally having real cocktails."

Smiling nervously, Annie said, "But Shirley doesn't drink. I think it would be fun to do mocktails."

Britta frowned. "Seriously? But you and I got hammered at Shirley's bachelorette party."

Annie turned on a bright smile and squeaked, "I know, but maybe that wasn't so nice of us, right Shirley? You felt excluded?" She turned toward Shirley and hoped she would back her up.

Shirley seemed to consider this for a moment before replying, "While I'm certainly not one to judge," Britta rolled her eyes behind her as she continued, "I guess it did feel a little lonely to have the two of you drink while I kept my wits about me. Not that I want to stop the two of you from indulging. The Lord only grants us what we can bear."

Annie bit her lip and then said, "Let's do mocktails."

Britta scowled as she continued to regard Annie while crunching on her celery stalk.

X

X

Britta pushed open the stall door as she heard Annie enter the bathroom. "Aha!"

Annie's eyes went wide as Britta pounced in front of her.

"What are you doing?!" She leaned back and clutched the straps of her backpack.

"I knew it was you!"

Calming down, Annie sighed and said with a hint of irritation, "You just came in here, but ran ahead of me. Of course you knew it was me."

Nodding vigorously, Britta made a show of looking under all the stall doors. Seeing no one's feet, she marched over and promptly locked the bathroom door before turning back to face Annie.

"We have to talk."

Annie furrowed her brow and placed her backpack on the sink. She turned to Britta and asked, "What is it?"

"Is there something you want to tell me? As your friend?"

Puzzled, Annie shook her head.

"Really? Nothing you're going to have to tell me sooner or later? I thought we were close, Annie. God, it's not like I'll blab it all over campus like Shirley."

"I really don't know what you mean."

Britta pursed her lips and then lunged for the backpack. As Annie scoffed, Britta began unzipping compartments and dumping items out on the counter, including Annie's notebook, a criminology textbook, baby wipes, and a purple pen.

Annie shrieked, "Stop it! What are you doing?!"

"Aha!" Britta turned toward her and held up a pill bottle and gave it a jingle. "I thought I saw these when you were putting away your stuff in class earlier."

Annie's face went white at the sight of her prenatal vitamins. She motioned for them, and Britta smugly handed them over. Annie took them and placed them demurely back in her bag.

She mumbled, "That's private."

There were a few beats of silence as Annie continued to replace items in her bag, avoiding eye contact as she did so. Britta finally sighed.

"So you're preggers?"

Annie's head snapped up and she said, "No. I mean, probably not. I mean, I don't exactly know at the moment."

Britta stared at her in disbelief. "Why are you taking those?"

Annie continued to zip various compartments in her backpack as she explained, "My doctor said it was better to start sooner rather than later to make sure I don't have any vitamin deficiencies. I trust her advice, cause with Sophie I didn't start them until after I found out I was pregnant, _obviously_." She looked up and smiled sheepishly at Britta as she continued, "I was always so worried she wouldn't develop properly, for a lot of reasons…" she trailed off for a moment and then cleared her throat, her expression changing to indignation as she said more adamantly, "But that's my business. I can't believe you went through my backpack!"

Britta groaned and threw her hands upward. "God, I'm sorry, okay? But when I saw them and you were talking about wanting mocktails, I kind of freaked. I was hurt. I thought you'd would tell me if you were pregnant."

"I would."

Britta sighed again and then leaned against the tile wall, folding her arms across her chest. She asked in a softer tone, "So …. you guys?"

She answered simply, "Yes, Britta, we're trying for a baby."

Britta nodded slowly and seemed to take this in. She finally mumbled, "So on purpose?"

Annie let out an exasperated sigh and stared at her in disbelief. "Yes."

"Why?"

Annie placed her bag back down on the counter and stepped closer. "Because we want to expand our family. We want to give Sophie a baby brother or sister."

"Now?"

Glancing downward, Annie replied, "Yes. And I'm sorry if you don't understand it, but that's what we're doing."

"Look, I…"

She lifted her head and interjected, her eyes now brimming with tears, "I know you originally didn't think Jeff and I should get married, and you said awhile ago that you didn't think we should have a baby together, but this is our life and I'm hoping as our friend you will support us, even if you don't get it."

Britta stood in silence for some moments, regarding Annie's pained expression. If she had to admit it to herself, she hadn't really thought through the intervention. Was she honestly thinking she had the right to interfere? Were they supposed to stop trying to procreate (eww) because she said a few wise words? Sure, she thought Annie was too young to be having another child, but then again she realized in that moment that she couldn't really relate to Annie. They had both had messy lives, but they were different kind of messes.

Annie loved Jeff Winger, and Jeff loved Annie Edison. They were good parents to sweet little Sophie, a child she probably would not have had if she had been in a similar circumstance at Annie's age. God, if she accidentally got pregnant now she'd also seriously consider not having it. But she wasn't Annie.

Her own eyes now tearing up, she said, "I'm sorry I was a jerk. I think it's great you and Jeff got married, if not for Sophie's sake." She paused and gulped down a sob before she added, "As for the baby thing, I know it's not my place. I said all of that before because I thought Jeff was panicking and being a goober about it; I always thought the solution was that he feel more secure with Sophie."

"I see." Annie regarded her with skepticism and folded her arms across her chest.

Unfolding her own arms, Britta leaned forward and placed her hands on Annie's shoulders. Making eye contact with her, she said, "But I think he is secure with her now. He seems to have really grown into Daddy-hood. It's thrown me, but I've witnessed it."

"So…"

Pushing down her own opinions for once, Britta said, "If you guys want to have a baby, I think that's great."

"Really?" Annie arched a brow, her lip trembling somewhat as she continued to regard Britta with hesitation.

Stepping back and letting her hands fall, Britta shrugged. "Sure. Just please promise me you'll tell me before Shirley, okay? She'll get all high and mighty about knowing first."

Her expression softening, Annie let out a quick laugh. "Deal."

At that moment there was a loud thumping against the restroom door. Shirley's voice boomed, "Girls!"

Annie smiled. "I think we should let her in."

X

X

X

Given this was the first year they had celebrated Hanukkah after Annie had reconciled with her mother, Annie and Jeff headed over to Rachel's for the last night. Annie had pushed back on the high holidays during the fall and refused Rachel's offers for them to accompany her to Kol Nidre services at Temple. At the time Annie had grumbled to Jeff that the last thing she wanted to do was spend time with her mother on the Day of Atonement. But Hanukkah seemed different for Annie, so Jeff readily agreed to go with her to her mother's home.

It was the first time Jeff had seen Rachel since Paul's visit, and to Jeff's surprise, she seemed to be in an extra cheery mood and pulled out all of the stops to host them. She even affected a delighted if strained smile at the appearance of Ruffles in her Hanukkah sweater, asking Sophie various questions about her doggie and then maneuvering her off to see all the goodies.

Jeff turned back to Annie and laughed. She shot him a questioning look, and he clarified, "She hates the dog."

"Of course she does."

Jeff bent down and unclipped Ruffles, who promptly tore off down the hallway after Sophie and Rachel. As he watched her go, he stood and said, "That'll be fun."

Annie smirked at him as they removed their coats and hung them in the front hallway. She then took his hand and they went into the living room. Jeff allowed a moment to appreciate Rachel's decorations and the large and elaborate Menorah on the table.

Annie said, "She does everything perfectly."

"You throw a pretty good Hanukkah too."

She chuckled as she said, "Not in comparison. You'll see."

He shrugged as he walked around the room and regarded all the pictures of Sophie. "So, is our kid getting spoiled tonight?"

Annie nodded as she followed his gaze toward Sophie's newborn picture. "Most definitely. It's the second reason I decided we should come over."

He turned toward her and arched a brow.

She explained simply, "Anthony."

"Right. Where is the sourfaced one?"

"While you were helping Sophie take off her boots, Mom told me he's upstairs." She yanked on his hand and motioned toward the foyer.

"But surely…"

-"I'll show you my old room. Or what was my old room. She probably turned it into a craft space by now."

His curiosity piqued, he followed her up the stairs. He had been up there one other time, and that was to almost forcibly remove Anthony from his teen cave a few months ago on a particular occasion when he and Rachel were in another heated fight. At the time, he had shuddered at the piles of clothes, assorted strips of what looked to be metal, and two by fours all over the place. He didn't want to know what the kid was doing. Probably just trying to annoy his mom.

But he had never seen Annie's room. Based on her comments, she hadn't been up there either since she had moved out. Remembering it was the scene of where she had overdosed, Jeff stopped her before they entered. Placing his hand on her arm, he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why?"

"The last time you slept here….wasn't that when…"

She waived her hand in the air. "Yes. But that was a lifetime ago. I want to show you. God, I wonder what she's done to it…"

They were both stunned as Annie opened the door and they viewed Annie's former room, which appeared to be still functioning as a bedroom. There was a twin bed, made up with a flower-patterned duvet and matching pillowcase, and a small white desk with purple blotter and a small plastic purple container to the side. Jeff stepped closer and noticed it was full of purple pens. He turned his head to the side and spied a bulletin board with newspaper clippings of school events. He leaned in and read some of the headlines:

 _Anna Edison wins first place in Spelling Bee._

 _Anna Edison trounces debate opponent from Parkside High._

 _Anna Edison is National Merit Finalist, first student at Riverside High to take honor in five years._

There were a slew of other clippings, but Jeff stopped reading as he became aware of Annie's stillness. He turned back to her and observed she was standing in the center of the room and scanning the place with a look of bafflement.

"Are you okay?"

"This is exactly how I left it."

"Wow." He stepped over to her and placed his arms around her. She readily accepted the embrace and let him hold her for some moments before she turned around to face him.

"I can't believe she kept it like this."

He let out a sigh. "I can. I don't think your mother's the type to really face things."

"It's like she was waiting for me to come back."

"Maybe she was."

Suddenly, Annie's eyes went wide and she disentangled herself from him and walked over to the bedside table. She carefully opened the drawer and gasped.

"What is it?"

Pulling out a small bound pink notebook, she said with her voice in a tremble, "My diary."

He joined her and they sat down on the bed. She stared at the journal for a few moments before opening it up and flipping through the pages.

"She didn't read it."

"How do you know?"

"Because I talk about Adam in it. She seemed genuinely shocked that he was the one who got me pregnant."

He was startled to still find himself inwardly reacting to the mention of Adam. It seemed strange to think of Annie in her bedroom, journaling about the asshole and then becoming so upset she… he tried to stop thinking about it.

He merely said, "Well, I guess your mom is full of surprises."

Nodding, she hummed for a moment before stiffening and reopening the drawer. She fished out an envelope addressed to her mother and opened it. Her eyes skimmed over it, and tears began flowing over her cheeks.

Jeff suddenly realized what she was holding. He felt a pang in his chest as he asked, "That's the letter you wrote?"

She nodded and continued staring at it. She mumbled, "I haven't read this since that night. Oh my god, I was out of my mind."

"I don't need to read it in order to agree."

"The envelope's open."

"You sealed it?"

"Yes."

"Soo…."

-"She must have read it. And then she put it back."

X

Annie knocked on Anthony's door and said sweetly, "It's me and Jeff."

There was a creaking sound as the door slowly opened and Anthony peered through the crack. Upon seeming to confirm it was in fact them and not a trick, he opened the door fully and smiled.

The kid smiled.

And he was clean-shaven, his hair still cut in the shorter style he sported on Thanksgiving.

Jeff squinted in disbelief as Anthony waived toward his room and said, "Welcome."

As they stepped inside, Jeff took notice of Anthony's outfit, which was a decent buttoned up plaid shirt and non-ripped pair of dark jeans. He gave a low whistle, and Anthony shrugged before Annie pulled him into a somewhat obnoxious clingy hug.

"You look so great!"

"Thanks. It's Chanukah."

She nodded at his appropriate pronunciation, which their mother would insist on, and stepped back and continued to grin.

Jeff was in the middle of surveying the room while emitting a series of small gasps. The place was spotless, no hunks of materials around, bed made neatly, a keyboard with attached headphones on a desk near the corner. He looked down and spied fresh vacuum marks in the carpet.

"What the hell happened?"

Anthony rolled his eyes. "Nothing."

Turning to him, Jeff said, "Oh come on. This place was a certifiable hazard zone last time I saw it. Now it looks likes something Annie…" He stopped as Annie regarded him with a smirk.

She finished his sentence for him, "would do?"

"Well…yeah."

She turned toward her brother and asked, "What made you decide to clean it up? You've never let mom get her way with your room."

Anthony groaned. "She hasn't seen it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just thought I'd clean. I couldn't find stuff. It was kinda becoming a problem." He added with a smirk, "But don't tell mom that."

"I see." Annie smiled and added, "You know, I'd probably let Sophie come up here now if you wanted to show her your keyboard or a game."

"Yeah, that would be cool cool cool."

X

X

"Is your brother okay?"

Annie lifted her head and regarded her mother with tentativeness. "Why do you ask?"

Rachel smiled tightly as she began to re-arrange silverware on the dining table. Annie had been helping her set up for the meal, and Jeff had taken Sophie upstairs to visit with Anthony. Annie had let him know she wanted him to stay there for a little while so that she could talk to her mother with some privacy.

Rachel replied, "He's different. Ever since Thanksgiving, he's been more polite and he's been helping me with things around the house, tasks I'd normally have to push him into doing." She paused and then added, "Last week, he did the dishes every night, and today he insisted on putting together Sophie's meal."

Annie placed a napkin near the head of the table and mused, "He does seem a little different."

"He even brought Natalie over for dinner last week."

"I know. He told me you made him."

Annie observed her mother suddenly look down and begin to pick at what she assumed was some slight flaw or unwanted substance on the tablecloth. The mutterings which accompanied this behavior slightly unnerved her, for she couldn't fathom what her mother was upset about. Surely, she had always wanted her children to be obedient, to simply fall in line. If Anthony had become easier to manage, then her mother should be happy.

She remembered how before her rebellion, she had been an almost perfect child and adolescent, always agreeing with her mother and doing her best to please her. She had always helped with the dishes and would eagerly take on any other tasks, if only so she wouldn't hear her mother's heavy sighs.

At that moment, Rachel let out an audible sigh and then looked up, making eye contact with her. She smiled slightly and said, "Natalie's actually a very nice girl, and your brother, despite his initial protests, was very well-behaved and dare I say even respectful with me."

"He did mention you guys had a decent time." Annie simply shrugged, still unclear on what was bothering her mother.

They worked in silence for almost a minute before Rachel began murmuring something about the napkins not being ironed fully. Annie decided to followup. She said, "Anthony looks really nice today."

Immediately, her mother fired out, "That's exactly what I mean!"

"Why would that be a problem?"

Rachel stilled and then glanced up at Annie before resuming her perusal of the table. She said in a lower voice, "Maybe it is? You changed when you were seventeen."

Annie's eyes went wide as her mother added, this time looking up and meeting her gaze, "I didn't think you were in trouble. I just thought you were working hard. But I did notice you were different."

Annie took these comments in, and figuring it was now good as time as ever, she turned and marched over to her purse, opening it to retrieve the envelope. As she headed back over to her mother, she was conscious of hearing the sharp intake of air.

Rachel winced as she said, "Please. Where did you….?"

-"I was showing Jeff my room. I found this near my diary in the nightstand."

Annie motioned for her mother to sit, and they both did so, each on different sides of the dining table. After some uncomfortable silence, she placed the envelope in between them and said simply, "I re-read it."

Rachel merely nodded as she kept her eyes on the envelope.

"Did you ever read it?"

Rachel's head snapped up and her lip began to tremble. She replied in a tone barely above a whisper, "Of course I did."

At this reaction, Annie felt a pang of guilt. While she had been furious with her mother for a long time, she couldn't imagine what she had put her through that night. Tears now starting to flow down her cheeks, she said, "I'm so sorry, mom. I was crazy."

"Sweetie, it's okay."

"No. I couldn't imagine if Sophie were to write a letter like that."

"She won't."

At her mother's definitive tone, Annie abruptly stopped her sobs and said, "But she could. The future is unknowable."

Rachel shook her head. "We'll make sure she doesn't get hooked on drugs."

Annie felt some annoyance begin to mix in with her guilt, and she asked, "Why didn't you support me in recovery? Why did you want to simply pretend I wasn't an addict? You kept trying to treat it as only a medical issue, but you know I was crazy, mom. I needed psychological help."

She watched as her mother appeared to take a few long deep breaths and consider her words, her eyes darting to the letter and then back at her.

"I'm sorry. I know now I didn't do the right thing, and if I'm being completely honest, which Jeff tells me I need to do with you so I will…."

With a flash of irritation, Annie interrupted, "Jeff again? Why can't you just say things to me because it makes sense, Mom? Why do you always have to hear it from him first?"

"He makes some good points, sweetie. He has a way about him."

"Oh my god, please do not tell me you have a crush on him."

Rachel scoffed, "Oh please." She then patted down her hair as she cleared her throat. "Yes, I may have been initially attracted to him, but after he told me he was taken, I backed off. I'm not a homewrecker. Now he's truly and simply my son-in-law."

Annie stared, almost horrified, and let out a low gasp. She took a moment to collect herself before she asked, "You hit on Jeff?!"

With a tssking sound, Rachel replied, "Now, I didn't know he was with you, remember that. Let's not make this into anything more than a simple flirtation, which I am allowed to do."

"Mom, did you try to…"

-"He turned me down, and he did it in a very nice way, if I must stay so. But he was clear that he was not available." She then turned up her smile and added, "Why, sweetie, don't you see this is such a good thing for you? He's very loyal. Trust me, that's something you will appreciate as time goes on." She nodded solemnly and then interlaced her hands on the table.

Annie narrowed her eyes as the full realization hit her. She asked, "Because he didn't want to sleep with you, being you'd be almost impossible to turn down?"

"Now, sweetie."

Annie rolled her eyes. "You know what, nevermind. Can you please just tell me what you were going to tell me? You said Jeff told you to be honest with me. I would appreciate it if you would. Why did you not support my decision to go to rehab?"

Rachel glanced down at her hands and began fiddling with her interlaced fingers. Her eyes darted once again to the letter before she lifted her face. In a quieter tone, she said, "I thought I could just _will_ things to be different, for you to be fine. I didn't want to think you'd end up like that. I was afraid of losing you, and I think part of me thought I'd already lost you. That you…." She stopped and placed one hand over her mouth and looked off to the far wall.

Annie finished for her, "Would end up like Aunt Nora."

Rachel stared at her in disbelief.

Annie smiled slightly and wiped away a tear as she said, "Dad told me when he was here. He told Anthony, too. And I don't think Anthony's into drugs or suicidal. I think he's finally taking responsibly for making his life better."

X

X

They proceeded with dinner, Jeff regarding the whole event with a curiosity he couldn't help but feel when in Rachel's presence. As Annie had predicted, she was the perfect hostess, and Jeff learned to appreciate more of the aspects of the holiday.

And he noticed that Annie seemed more relaxed around her mother, and if he dared guess Rachel seemed to be as well. He couldn't believe that such a demeanor would last, but it was a welcome change from the usual tenseness that accompanied their visits to the Edison household. There even seemed to be discussion flowing about Annie joining Rachel and her Aunt Sherri, who would be coming back into the country soon, for some girl time, Sophie of course invited to tag along. Jeff briefly tuned out as he watched a seemingly contented Anthony interact with Sophie but thought he heard something about a spa.

He wondered what was going on with Anthony. They had spent almost an hour up in his room, Anthony at first teaching Sophie about his keyboard and when she became restless engaging her in a videogame. Jeff needed to help her out with that of course, so it really ended up being him playing with Anthony with Sophie on his lap, thinking she controlled things. For the first time in their relationship, Jeff had the feeling that Anthony was regarding him more as a peer than a father figure. Jeff welcomed the change.

In the midst of his internal musings, Rachel spoke with all seriousness to Sophie, "Now sweetie, this might be the first Chanukah you will remember. I will now properly explain it to you."

Annie's eyes went wide. "Mom, she's too little to understand."

"Nonsense. I explained it to you, and you understood."

"I don't really remember."

Sophie smiled as she looked up from her booster seat and said to her grandmother, _"I wanna know all the things, Bubbe."_

Clearly pleased, Rachel nodded and said, "That's right, sweetie. Bubbe will tell you all the things."

Anthony snorted as he stabbed his latkes, "Bubbe will tell you all the things." Rachel arched a brow in his direction and he quickly added, "You're good at explaining things, Mom."

"Thank you." She turned back toward Sophie and with an almost manic intensity leaned down and said, "There was a time when our people, our family from long time ago, well, they weren't liked by some other people, the Greek-Syrians _._ The Greek-Syrians were mean, and they told us we had to worship Greek gods, which is silly really since Greek gods aren't real, so when we said we wouldn't do that, they got really mean and they…

"Mom, I…."

-"Tore down all our statues."

Sophie scrunched up her face as she asked, _"What a sta-tue?"_

Taking this question in stride, Rachel promptly explained, "A statue is a piece of art." She paused and then, her eyes widening in realization, added, "Like when you make something out of PlayDoh. They smashed all our PlayDoh, sweetie."

" _That's not nice."_ Sophie frowned and picked up her bear, who had been sitting in a plastic doll high chair to her left, in between her and Jeff. She clutched it as she continued to listen to her grandmother's story.

Rachel shook her head as she continued, "No, it's not nice at all. So we fought back and told them we didn't like them smashing our things. We told them to go away, and they finally did. And then we cleaned up all our things and rebuilt all of our statues."

" _We take our Pay-Doh back."_

"Yes, sweetie. And then we decided to have a celebration," She paused and then clarified, "A party." Motioning to the Menorah, Rachel continued, "We built a Menorah and lit up all the pretty candles. We thought we only had enough oil for five candles…one…two…three…four…five. But then we burned all eight of these. Ta da!"

" _Ta da!"_

With a gleam in her eye, Rachel clapped. "It was a miracle! It wasn't supposed to happen, but it did."

" _Yay! I'm thwee und you eight. Und we hab pwetty candles und we got our PayDoh back."_ Sophie smiled and kissed her bear.

Annie bit her lip and shared a knowing glance with Jeff. They were both more than a little relieved Rachel had simplified things with the candles and the days part but they both doubted Sophie would really understand.

Jeff smirked as he casually reached over and patted the back of Sophie's head. It was then that he felt Annie's foot graze his ankle. Casting her a wry smile and noticing her blush, which confirmed it wasn't Ruffles who had rubbed against him, he scooted down slightly and pushed his leg out further which gave her some more area in which to flirt.

Her foot inched upward.

It was at this moment that Anthony tapped his fork against his glass and said, "Hey, I have something to share."

Rachel, who had been exchanging excited grins with Sophie, turned her attentions to him, a now slightly worried expression on her face. Jeff and Annie also awaited his words with some trepidation, both of them now sitting up fully.

Anthony looked around the table, and after winking at Sophie said, "Hey, it's good news." He took a moment and then continued, "I applied for an engineering internship this summer before my senior year, and I got it. I'm going to be working at a firm that designs solutions for old bridge networks."

Annie cast Jeff a surprised look but then turned to Anthony and beamed. "Oh, Anthony! That's amazing! Congratulations."

Relieved that this hadn't been some elaborate way to disrupt the nice family time, Jeff said genuinely, "Yeah, congrats." It occurred to him that he hadn't known Anthony was interested in engineering, a part of him feeling a little sad at that realization.

At Rachel's silence, Anthony let out a groan. "Mom."

She clasped her hands in her lap and sat up straighter. With her lips slightly pursed, she said, "You didn't tell me you applied for an internship."

"I didn't want you to get all obsessed about it." Anthony rolled his eyes as he reached for the challah.

"Now please. I would not."

"You would. But I got it, so that's why I'm telling you now."

She let out a soft sigh and said, "Well, I guess this is wonderful news. I'm glad you've made constructive plans for your summer."

"Yeah, I'm super excited. It's in California."

X

X

They returned home to their apartment, Annie waiting until Sophie was in bed before she shared her thoughts with Jeff about her brother's plans. Aware that Sophie understood more things, she didn't want to confuse her or think they were unduly upset.

"With a wistful sigh, she said, "I can't believe he's going to move away. We just found each other."

Jeff pulled her to his chest and held her there for a little while. He whispered, "He's growing up. This will be good for him."

She moved back and looked up at him with a slight smile. "I know."

"Things seemed a little better with you and your mom." He regarded her with a carefulness that she always appreciated.

She continued to stare up at him with her almost bemused expression. After some hesitation, she said, "I think I'm ready to try again with her. I don't have any grand expectations, but…" She trailed off and then shrugged as she added, "We'll see."

As he rubbed his hands at her sides, he said simply, "I love you."

At this, she raised herself onto the balls of her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands instinctively remained on her hips and he leaned down so that she could kiss him. They allowed themselves to take their time as they softly explored each other, hands eventually wandering as they stumbled toward the bedroom.

Annie mumbled in between kisses, "I think I'm ovulating. I've been wanting to jump your bones all day." She began unbuttoning his dress shirt.

With a cocky grin, he said, "Admit it, you always want to jump my bones."

"That's kinda true. Why do you have to be so damn sexy?" She threw the shirt to the side and began grabbing at his t-shirt, her expression one of frustrated intensity.

With all seriousness, he pulled her to him even tighter and said with a growl, "Let's get to work on making more Jewish babies."

He promptly picked her up and swung her into the wedding threshold position, carrying her to the bed as she laughed.

As he laid her down, she fluttered her eyelashes and said, "That's right. All our babies will be Jewish. It's matrilineal."

"I hope they're as amazing as you."

He quickly removed his t-shirt and tossed it into the air.

X

X

X

By the end of Hanukah, they had their final exams. As expected, Annie earned her _A,_ as did Shirley. Abed managed a _B_ and Troy and Pierce pulled off _C_ s.

Annie was a little too pleased when Jeff found out he got a _C minus_.

His index finger still on the printout tacked to the hallway bulletin board, he turned his head and squinted at her.

"You suck."

She chuckled and then began to roll back and forth on her one-inch heels, clutching her folder to her chest. She remarked, "I'm so happy the semester is over and Ian graded everyone fairly! Everything's perfect."

Jeff stood fully and cast her a look of mock annoyance. Suddenly spying Britta pushing her way through the crowd, he stepped back to allow her access to the bulletin board. He placed his arm around Annie and smirked, "If you're looking for your grade, yours isn't here. The Dean must not have given it to Ian to post."

Britta scowled at the printout and muttered, "I better have gotten at least a _C_. I can't be as stupid as you."

"But you might be," He teased.

She huffed indignantly and turned toward them as she said, "I deserve a _C!_ I actually think I did okay on the final."

Annie pouted almost condescendingly, "I know you did, Britta. You tried really hard. I'm sure you'll get your _C._ " She stepped forward and nodded slowly.

Jeff noticed Annie's pitying expression and Britta's look of hopefulness. He remarked in his most Winger voice, "The final was a series of questions about the history of The Revolutionary War, which shall I remind both of you, was not a part of Eastern European history. And the questions were extremely judgmental and opinionated, demonstrating that our temporary professor clearly has an axe to grind with England. And apparently also America."

Ian suddenly appeared in between Jeff and Britta and chuckled. "Grades are out! No need to thank me, Winger." He handed Ruffles' leash to him.

Jeff looked down to regard what he was beginning to realize was the Greendale mascot. She was wearing a Greendale doggie sweater and looked up at him expectantly. He lifted his head and said to Ian, "You gave me a _C minus."_

Ian grinned as he slapped him on the back. "And you deserved it. I almost gave you an _A_ for your little cartoon in the margins, but alas, I must uphold my oath as a professor to do no harm."

Annie laughed a little too high-pitched as she squeaked, "An _A_?! Why, that would be silly! Jeff getting an _A_!"

Jeff smiled tightly as he patted her shoulder. "Now, _wifey._ "

Britta abruptly turned toward Ian and asked, "Hey, where's my grade?"

"I think you'll have to wait for the Dean. He insisted he post it himself so I wouldn't have the opportunity to change it. He tells me he's running a tight ship from now on." Ian cast a low whistle as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

At his words, Annie grinned and said with shining eyes, "I knew it! The Dean's finally running this school they way it should be run! I'm so proud of him. He's really demonstrated character growth!"

Jeff rolled his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling.

Suddenly the Dean emerged from the crowd, holding aloft a small piece of paper, which he made a great show of carrying over to the bulletin board while humming a wedding march song for some reason. He smiled slyly at all of them and then took out a stapler from his pocket and proceeded to attach the paper to the board underneath the other History grades.

As soon as he stepped back, Britta swatted him aside and jumped forward. Closing her eyes and counting to three before opening them, she leaned in and regarded the paper.

Annie said, "Now Britta, everything will be okay."

"An _A minus_?! Oh my god, I got an _A minus_?!" Britta gasped and jumped around to face the Dean, who smirked and shrugged.

Jeff promptly grabbed Annie's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze as she screamed.


	27. Intro to Fortune Telling

**Chapter 27: Intro to Fortune Telling**

Summary: Jeff and Annie get ready for the future

xxxxx

A/N: Hint of smut

xxxxx

The group managed to celebrate Annie's birthday after their finals, the focus ending up not quite on Annie but on their collective relief at having survived, all while avoiding the topic that the next semester would be their last together as a study group. Jeff, Shirley, Britta, and perhaps even Pierce would be graduating; Annie planned on taking another year or so to complete her Criminology course and internship requirements, and Troy had officially changed his major to modern dance and would be taking at least another year. Abed, as usual, didn't speak much about his plans, but everyone knew he wouldn't be leaving Greendale in May.

Jeff did his best to ignore Pierce, who surprisingly decided to join the rest of the group at the Shake Shack and even came with a wrapped gift for Annie. Jeff could overhear Abed making snippy comments at Pierce and Shirley attempting to run interference, but decided to not make it his problem. He was too damn happy with everything at the present moment.

He had only one semester left, he was married to the love of his life, and he would soon officially be Sophie's father. Annie and her mother had made at least a temporary peace, and Anthony was shipping himself off to California for the summer and wouldn't be his reluctant responsibility anymore. Cornwallis was long gone. He had even stopped having those damn Darkest Timeline Dreams.

Not only was the present pretty damn great, but he had a lot to look forward to. He'd soon have his bachelors degree, which would make his law degree actually count. He tended to wonder how people seemed to overlook the fact that he did in fact make it through law school. He was no dummy, even if letters often looked jumbled to him on paper. He had found it useful to get pretty coeds to read things aloud to him or to listen to audio books. But he had graduated, and he had been a lawyer. He'd be one again.

He and Mark would be starting up their own firm, and while that was slightly terrifying, it was also exhilarating. He felt similarly about his and Annie's current efforts to conceive. It wasn't something he'd ever figured he'd care about, but here he was actually trying to get a woman pregnant. So far, they'd had a pretty good time of it, often engaging in banter and then some laughter as for the first time in his life he allowed himself to merely go with things and to ignore his urge to control a situation.

Easy breezy.

Everything was perfect.

He was startled out of his thoughts by Pierce's voice.

"Jeffrey, ahem. We need to talk."

Somehow he had missed Pierce sidling up to him as he went to put in a new tune at the jukebox. He turned toward him with a flash of irritation, holding his coin aloft.

"What?"

Pierce half smiled at him and gave a nod before glancing to his left and right and then stepping in a little too close for Jeff's comfort. In a low voice, he said, "I'm here for you."

Jeff's eyes went wide as he took a half step back and almost absentmindedly pushed the coin into the slot. "The hell?"

With a nod of something Jeff couldn't quite identify, perhaps condensation or maybe pity, Pierce explained, "You and Annie. You're trying to have a baby."

Jeff instinctively cringed and said with a hiss, "That's none of your business. And again, what the hell? How did you….?"

-"I overheard you talking to A-bed. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm not deaf."

Jeff closed his eyes and leaned against the jukebox, willing himself to melt into the floor and perhaps die. He should have known they couldn't keep such a thing from the group. Everyone was so damn nosey. He had been honestly surprised thus far that Shirley hadn't somehow known with her eerie gossip psychic abilities. At least Britta had no clue; he knew she'd give him shit.

He opened his eyes and regarded Pierce's almost apologetic demeanor. He wasn't used to seeing it, but Annie had told him on more than one occasion this is what she usually experienced when she was alone with Pierce. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He cleared his throat and said, "I appreciate your concern. Really, we'll let you know when there's any news to tell."

Pierce nodded.

Jeff added, "But please, can you just keep this to yourself? There's no need to have the whole of Greendale in on this."

"Of course, Jeffrey. I understand completely. After all, you and dear Annie might not be able to conceive. That's what I mean by I'm here for you."

Jeff instantly scowled. "We haven't been trying that long. We're on like month two, and I don't think the first time really counted…." He trailed off and then cleared his throat again as he said with slightly wider eyes, "Not that it's any of your concern. But anyway, it hasn't been that long, so we're not worried, but thank you." He folded his arms across his chest and attempted to lean nonchalantly against the jukebox.

Pierce uncharacteristically lowered his voice to an almost whisper, "That's what I used to think, with all of my wives, but alas…" he glanced back at the table where Annie was giggling with Sophie on her lap as they talked with Shirley and then turned back to Jeff and said, "Some of them already had children, you know, but we were never able to have any of our own, so I knew it was me."

"Super sperm?"

"Yes, Jeffrey, and you might have super sperm as well. If so, I'm here for you."

"Knock it off. I'm fine."

With that, Pierce lightly patted Jeff on the shoulder and walked back over to the table.

Doing his best to remember that Pierce was a cranky old half-senile jerk, Jeff turned his attentions back to the next song selection. He may have made a half fist as he pushed the button.

X

X

"Jeeeefff," Annie softly gasped as she lifted her right leg toward his shoulder blade.

He had to admire her recent efforts with yoga and her enhanced flexibility. She had been going regularly to a class with Britta, having decided karate was much too adrenaline-fueled for her right now, as she wanted to establish a good self-care routine for when she got pregnant.

As they hit the limit of said flexibility, he lightly moved her foot to the side and smirked, catching her gaze as her eyes rolled forward. He growled, "Let's flip this around."

She bit her lip and then shook her head, leaning back and pulling him from their seated position on the bed downward on top of her. She mumbled in between kisses, "I heard missionary was good."

"I've never heard that from a woman."

"I meant for conception, Jeff."

He stilled for a moment and pulled his head back, making eye contact with her. He studied her hopeful expression and said, "Yeah, um, of course."

She closed her eyes and smiled, and he leaned down at the awkward angle to continue kissing her. Eventually, however, he needed to rearrange himself a little so that they could resume things.

He moved inside of her, thinking about how amazing this moment was, but also wishing he could see her a little better, being an intensely visual person. He grinned as he felt her lick his abs.

That was more than a little okay.

X

X

X

They walked through the Denver Mall, Dorie holding Sophie's hand as they made their way toward the east wing.

"This is so exciting!"

" _Yah! I can't wait to meet Santa!"_

Dorie laughed as she glanced over at Annie, who took Jeff's hand as he pushed the empty stroller with the other.

Jeff glanced down and then said, "I don't see why we brought this thing. She's getting a little old for it, isn't she?"

Annie sighed, "You know she's going to get tired on the walk back."

"I could just carry her."

"Yes, but this way we have options."

"Well, it does hold all her crap." He peeked over to the side of the stroller, noticing it was full of blankets, a sippy cup, a storybook, a bag of goldfish crackers, and the bear. He briefly wondered what they would do with all the baby crap they'd have to lug around in the hopefully near future. He silently prayed that the Lexus would be okay and remained thankful that they had purchased the SUV.

Dorie chimed in, "You probably won't need it much longer. My neighbor Amanda might be able to use it. Did you want me to check with her?"

Annie cast Jeff a nervous look and then replied, "Oh, um, no thank you. We'll probably give it to Nancy."

"That makes more sense." Dorie eyed them suspiciously.

Deciding to change the subject, Annie asked, "Dorie, have you talked to Buzz lately?"

At the mention of his name, Dorie visibly tensed but then said quickly, "As a matter of fact, we had lunch the other day. He's on his winter break and catching up with his projects." A blush began forming over her cheeks.

Jeff frowned as he silently considered what Buzz Hickey's projects might be, but he decided to leave it alone. He was a little irked Annie had even brought the guy up. He had been trying his best to divorce the image of Hickey and his mother and while Hickey had demonstrated he might be a decent guy, Jeff still wasn't entirely comfortable with the concept of his mother having a private life. He didn't really want to know what was going on with them.

Annie asked, "Did he tell you he helped me out with something recently? It was a really awful situation, and he was so helpful."

"No, he didn't mention it."

"He was so great, but then he left and didn't even say goodbye."

Jeff gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"I'm so sorry, dear, but he's not the type of man to want the spotlight. He'd much rather shuffle off and do his own thing. Please don't take it personally."

Dorie briefly turned toward them and gave a slight smile before resuming her attentions on Sophie, who was now squealing with delight as they spied Santa sitting in his throne up ahead.

Jeff regarded the long line and inwardly groaned. He knew Sophie was excited, but if he had to be honest the mall was the last place he wanted to be right before Christmas. And he was normally a big fan of shopping.

Suddenly, he spied the familiar fluffy blonde hair ahead as it dodged out of Victoria's Secret. Grinning in an obnoxious manner, he brought the stroller to a graceful halt and shouted, "Britta!"

She snapped around, eyes wide as she registered their presence.

Annie skipped over and gave her a hug. "Oh, Britta! I didn't expect to see you here!"

As Annie moved out of the embrace, Britta smiled tightly and then said, "Um, hi guys."

" _Tit-ta! I here!"_

"Hi Sophie. Hi Dorie."

"It's so nice to see you again, dear."

" _I gonna see Santa. You come wid me und Gamma?"_

Britta crouched down and looked Sophie in the eyes with a somewhat nervous smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't."

" _Pease? Pwetty pease? I lub you so much."_

Her lip now trembling, Britta instantly caved. "Yeah, okay."

" _Yay!"_ Sophie reached forward and lunged into Britta's arms, and Britta scooped her up.

As she stood, Jeff reached forward and grabbed her pink and white striped shopping bag. "Here let me help you."

She flashed a horrified look at him, and he instantly knew he had her. He made a show of peeking in the bag before Annie swatted at him and snatched it away. He decided to tactfully ignore his mother's piercing stare.

"Since when do you shop at Victoria's Secret? Don't you hate the Man and the factories and such?"

Through clenched teeth, Britta whispered, "Shut up."

Annie slung the bag over her shoulder and smiled apologetically at Britta. "Let's go see Santa!"

Jeff squinted as he noticed Britta almost imperceptivity tense at the mention of Santa, but he waited. She hoisted Sophie to her hip, and they all proceeded to join the line. Thankfully, it seemed to be moving fairly quickly, and within a few minutes they were near the front. Jeff followed Britta's nervous gaze toward the good ol' jolly fellow, and everything clicked into place.

The British accent echoed in the tiled mall space, "Well, hel-lo! Ho ho ho!"

Ian Duncan, for all his faults, always made a good Santa.

X

As Sophie sat on Santa Ian's lap, she gushed, _"I lub you Santa! Id almost Cwistmas, und I wan lots of things!"_

"Well, my dear Sophie, why don't you tell me what you want for Christmas?"

Annie smiled broadly as she watched her daughter. She caught Ian's wink at her before he turned his full attentions on Sophie for the remainder of their conversation. She nudged Britta's side and whispered, "Why didn't you tell me he was playing Mall Santa? It's adorable!"

Britta affected a yawn. She then mumbled, "Eh, it's not a big deal. He liked being Santa last year at Dorie's and we thought he could do something nice for the kids."

"We?"

"Yeah, I guess we talked about it, and it's always nice to do something for others at Christmastime."

Jeff leaned down in between them and said with a hint of smugness, "So when did Ian get so selfless?"

"Shut up, jackass."

"Hmmm, let me guess. He gets to see the contents of the Victoria's Secret bag once he's done being Santa. It'll be a ho-ho-hoing and jolly good night."

Britta turned and glared at him while Annie scoffed.

Dorie piped in, "Jeffrey!" And then smacked him on the side.

He turned with a horrified wince. In all of the giddiness at having figured out some potential sexual weirdness with Britta and Ian, he had kind of forgotten his mom was there. He cringed and then whispered, "Sorry. I was just…"

-"I know, dear. Please stop. I want to hear what Sophie's saying."

"Right." He pursed his lips and then turned his attentions back to the Santa throne, where Sophie was in the middle of extolling her love for her family.

" _Und I lub Mama und Daddy und Gamma und Tit-ta. Dey hew wid me und I wan Cwistmas. Und toys."_

"What kind of toys?"

" _I wan Hulk in my woom. I wan him to sweep wid Wuffles und be gween."_

"Okay. The Hulk, yes. Anything else?"

" _I wanna be gween."_

"Got it. Do you want a doll, perhaps? Or a bike?"

" _I hab a bike. Bud I wanna more Pay-doh for Bubbe. I need all the Pay-doh. Und I wan a baby sister."_

Santa Ian chuckled as he said, "Playdoh. I'll see what I can do. As for the baby sister…" Santa Ian cast a glance over at a silently laughing Annie and Britta before he turned back to Sophie and said, "Alas, that is up to your parents, not Santa. You'll have to ask them."

Sophie suddenly smiled brightly and clapped her hands. Looking up at Santa Ian, she screeched, _"Daddy said I could hab a baby sister! He ask Mama!"_

Jeff immediately died as he felt his mother's eyes land on him. He made his best efforts to stare straight ahead at the Santa throne, careful to betray no hint of emotion, yet he felt himself take a series of quick gulps.

Annie exchanged a quick look with Britta, and Britta silently chuckled while stealing a glance back at Dorie and Jeff. She whispered, "Oh, his mom's having fun with this one."

Annie sighed but figured it would all be okay. Sophie was at an age when pretty much anything they said around her would be repeated. She briefly wondered what Sophie would do if they gave her a baby brother instead of a sister. It then occurred to her she didn't know exactly what to do with a baby boy, but she started picturing a baby Jeffy. He would be so cute, and she could see his little chubby cheeks. She smiled and turned back to hear Santa Ian address Sophie.

"Did he now? That's interesting. Well, again, you'll have to talk to your parents, but I will talk to my elves about the Playdoh and the Hulk."

" _Und make me gween."_

"I will also discuss that with my elves."

" _Dank you. I lub you, Santa."_

X

They sat around the table at the food court, Sophie munching on her fries as Jeff did his best to ignore the thoughts of the fat and carbs present on their trays. He had procured a burger for himself and removed the bun.

While carefully moving her striped shopping bag out of Jeff's reach, Britta said to Sophie, "I didn't know you wanted to be green, Sophie. That's awesome."

Sophie nodded and kept eating, taking a moment to lick her hand before diving it back into the bag of fries.

Dorie smiled over at Britta and said, "You know, dear, I'd love to have you join us again this Christmas. Unless you and Ian have other plans?"

Britta shrugged and then coyly smiled. "He mentioned he wanted to see me, but you know, I never really celebrate it. I usually leave the country. But it was nice at your place last year, so um, yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

"Good. I am sure Sophie will also be delighted to have you there."

Annie began to wipe off Sophie's hands as she said, "Okay, sweetie, let's go to the restroom and get you all cleaned up."

Britta glanced over at Jeff and Dorie and smirked. She turned to Annie and said, "You know what, I'll come with you guys. You could probably use some help."

"Awww, thanks Britta."

Jeff pursed his lips as Britta kicked his shin and then smugly rose to follow Annie and Sophie out of the food court. He kept his line of sight after them, feeling a hotness in his face. At his mother's throat clearing sound, he groaned and turned to face her.

"What?"

She squinted at him and leaned forward, placing her elbow on the table. He instantly reached forward and used one of the paper napkins to lift up her arm and wipe down the table before allowing herself to reposition it. She let out a series of exasperated sighs as he did so.

She finally said, "So, Sophie said some interesting things to Santa."

He remarked nonchalantly, "Yeah, apparently she wants to be the Hulk or have him as a pet. Or perhaps both. Frankly, none of that really surprises me. Last night she made green krispy treats."

"Yes, dear. I was talking about her Hulk comments, obviously."

He turned to face her completely and leaned over and placed his elbow on the table so he was mirroring her posture. He said, "Fine. So what?"

With a roll of her eyes, she asked, "You told Sophie she could have a baby sister?"

He smirked and replied, "Well, technically, no. I asked her if she wanted a baby sister or _brother_. She appears to have latched on to the sister part. I think it's because she's fixated on baby Elizabeth. She's always trying to take her home."

His mother shifted in her seat but kept her eyes on his. She said in a softer tone, "So it's a serious consideration? Or did you have something to tell me?"

He let out a breath and said, "There's nothing to tell. But, um, I guess yeah, it's a serious consideration."

"Oh."

He darted his eyes to the side as he added, "We're just seeing what happens."

At this, his mother's eyes widened and she sat back up. He again mirrored her movements and they sat side by side, both staring toward the restrooms as they waited for the girls to come back.

"Seeing what happens…That's lovely, dear."

"It's no big deal. We don't want any pressure."

She reached over and took his hand underneath the table, giving it a squeeze.

X

"So….Christmas?" Jeff stuffed his hands in his coat pockets as he looked down at his mother as they stood in the mall parking lot.

Dorie smiled up at him and said, "Come whenever you want, dear, and please stay for a few days."

"Of course."

Annie let Sophie give Dorie a kiss on the cheek and then hauled her into the SUV, making sure to get her settled into the carseat with her bear.

Dorie said to Jeff, "Just make sure Ruffles has some toys to play with so she and Hank don't fight and she leaves the cats alone. I'll put the bunnies in the garage."

Jeff leaned down and wrapped his mom in a hug. "Can't wait."

Dorie whispered in to his ear, "And please keep me apprised of any developments. You know I love being a grandma."

He whispered back, "Mom." He then paused and squeezed her once more as he added, "And you can invite anyone else you want to Christmas you know."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"It's okay, he's not that bad."

As they pulled out of the embrace, she furrowed her brow and remarked, "I might extend some other invitations. Did you want me to talk to the rest of your study group?"

"No."

"Jeff." Annie had appeared by his side. Addressing Dorie, she said, "Troy and Abed are actually going on a trip to LA this year. They wanted to tour Universal Studios."

Jeff nodded. "Of course they are."

"Yes, Jeff, they are. Pierce is going with them, I think he's paying for the whole thing."

With an arched brow, Jeff said, "I don't see that ending well."

"I think it's sweet. I told Pierce he should be nicer to Abed." Annie took Jeff's hand and turned back to Dorie. She said, "And Shirley has a houseful of her own guests, so I don't think she can make it, but I'm sure she'd appreciate an invitation, just to be nice."

Dorie smiled knowingly.

After Dorie had left and they had gotten into the SUV, Annie mused, "I guess the cat's out of the bag. Your mom knows about…?" She shot him an inquisitive look as she turned the key in the ignition.

Jeff rolled his neck back and forth against the headrest and let out a groan. "Yup. We had a chat while you ladies were in the restroom."

"Is this weird for you?"

"Nah."

She furrowed her brow as she said, "I know you don't like to tell your mom stuff."

With a heavy sigh, he rolled his head in her direction and said, "I don't make a habit of it, but that's different than saying that I don't _like_ to tell her things."

"Oh."

"She was actually pretty awesome about it. You can tell she's excited, but it's like a low-key giddiness."

"Would it be so bad if she were outwardly enthusiastic?"

He shrugged and then glanced back at Sophie, who was staring at him from the back. He gave her a wink and then addressed Annie in a low voice, "I just don't think we should get prematurely attached to the idea."

"Jeff." She frowned as she turned off the engine.

"What?"

Shifting to face him completely, she said adamantly, "I will not have you be a…" she hesitated before casting a look at Sophie and then saying, " _sourpuss_ about things. Look, even Britta is happy for us."

"Crap."

" _Cwap."_

They both widened their eyes and suppressed laughter, Annie mouthing to Jeff to just ignore it. He gave a slight nod and then asked, "You told her?"

Annie shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "She figured it out."

"And she's happy for us?"

"Why does that surprise you? Yes, she is."

They took a few moments in silence before he cleared his throat and said, "Abed and Troy figured it out too. Or at least Abed did. I'm not sure what Troy knows."

"Oh."

"And Pierce."

Annie raised her brows and stared at him in almost disbelief.

He nodded. "Oh yes. He made sure to tell me he's here for us if I have super sperm." He then turned to face the windshield, closed his eyes, and cringed.

Annie reached over and patted his thigh. She said in a soothing voice, "Everything will be fine, Jeff."

"I hope so."

"I love you no matter what."

"I know."

"We're a family."

" _Yah, Daddy, we a fam-il-y! Why you so sad?"_

Sophie's comments snapped him out of his sourpuss mood. He took Annie's hand and then turned back to look at Sophie, who was regarding him with her wide eyes and attempting to hand him a cracker.

He smirked and said, "I'm not sad anymore. Thank you, this cracker helps a lot. I love you, munchkin." He took the cracker from her and popped it into his mouth.

Sophie tilted her head and smiled.


	28. Cultural Traditions and Advanced Hugging

**Chapter 28: Cultural Traditions and Advanced Hugging**

Summary: The annual Christmas episode

xxxxxxxx

A/N: Apologies for the delay! We're getting near the end….sniff, sniff…

Warning: mentions of drug use

xxxxxxxx

" _I wan a piggy back wide."_

"Say please."

" _Pwease."_

"Say I love you."

" _Lub you."_

"Say Daddy's faster than a cheetah."

" _No."_

Jeff did his best to hide his pride, but when Sophie cocked her head and pointed at him, his smirk morphed into a grin, and they both started laughing. He reached over and scooped her up, carried her over to the heap of blankets leftover from their earlier fort, and plopped them both down on it. He pulled her to his chest, and she squished her face into his.

His gaze was fuzzy because she was too close, and he briefly panicked that he might need reading glasses, but then she lifted her head and came back into focus as she said with full volume, _"You NOT a cheetah, Daddy! You a Daddy!"_

He should have figured she knew what a cheetah was. They had gone to the zoo again last week.

Suppressing the urge to clasp his hands over his ears, he said, "Right. I guess I owe you a piggy back ride?"

" _Yes, pwease. Lub. No cheetah. Daddy piggy."_

He could never say no to the Disney eyes. He briefly wondered if this would be a problem down the line, but decided he wouldn't worry about it right now. His therapist had been encouraging him to let go of his thought spirals and stay in the present moment. He had to admit this moment was pretty special, and he wanted to give it his full attention.

"Your wish is my command."

They were in full piggyback mode, wandering around the apartment, when Annie emerged from the bathroom and chuckled at the sight of them by the fridge. Her eyes then met Jeff's, and she shook her head before dropping a small plastic device into the kitchen trash bin.

Although he had pretty much expected that, it still felt like a pit suddenly formed in his gut. He had even urged her not to take the test, as she was only a day late.

He decided to make the best of things and plowed over to her, giving her a growling kiss as Sophie shrieked. Annie rolled her eyes but then got into it, remarking on what a 'beast' Sophie had.

" _He Daddy! Not a beast, Mama."_

"This is Daddy? Oh my, I didn't recognize him! What did you do to him?" Annie asked as she reached up and caressed Jeff's stubbly cheek.

He so wanted to hold her. He wondered if she was disappointed.

Sophie explained as she slapped his head, _"I told him he piggy, und I need wide."_

Annie nodded and regarded Sophie with an expression of complete seriousness. She said, "I see. He makes a good piggy."

Jeff carefully reached up and removed one of Sophie's hands from over his eye. He was kind of wondering how their daughter could easily view him as a piggy while completely dismissing the notion he could be a wild speedy cat.

As she motioned upward, Sophie said, _"He take me to Gamma's. He take you too, Mama. Get up."_

Annie and Jeff laughed, and Annie rolled up on her tiptoes to whisper in Jeff's ear, "I love you."

He mumbled in response, "Love you too."

x

x

x

They managed to make their way to Denver, Ruffles scuffling away in her carrier while sporting her Christmas sweater. The Edison-Wingers prided themselves on being a multi-religious household, and so far their kid and dog had outfits that befit both sides of the family.

Sophie was very pleased to show off her bright green dress with red leggings and ornament necklace. Dorie reached down and hugged her as she remarked, "Why dear, you look ready for Christmas! Sam also has on his special outfit. And Braden is an elf."

Sophie's eyes widened even more than anyone could possibly imagine. She said, " _Baden an elf? No! Weally?"_

"Yes, he has decided he's an elf. He's wearing stripes and a little hat."

" _Is Santa here?"_

"Not yet. But soon."

Sophie smiled and looked up at Jeff and Annie, who both nodded and motioned for her to run along toward the living room. She squealed and tore off, Ruffles chasing after her. Dorie then gave them both hugs.

"Our first Christmas all officially family," Dorie exclaimed as she regarded them with an almost studious expression. She added, "I am so happy you're married."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Dorie, I…" Annie's lip began to quiver and she reached forward and pulled Dorie into another hug.

Dorie patted Annie's back and looked up at Jeff, and he found his own eyes becoming perhaps a little moist. He sighed and leaned down to join them.

X

After Annie had gathered Sophie's things and gone upstairs, Jeff was about to grab their other bags when his mother lightly tapped his arm and he stopped and turned to give her his full attention.

She cleared her throat and said, "In addition to Holly and the boys, my sister and Lou are here."

"Yeah, I kinda figured."

"I had another talk with them. I think they'll be civil." She looked up at him with a pained expression.

He groaned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Mom, it's not your responsibility to have them like me."

"You're my son. They don't get to say mean things to you."

"They haven't said anything 'mean.' And I can handle it."

"I'm sorry."

"Please." He gave her a reassuring half smile.

She appeared to relax a little, letting her shoulders drop but then another worried expression crept in. She said, "Ian and Britta arrived a few minutes ago."

"I did spy that crappy little car down the street."

She lightly swatted at him and he made efforts to once again ignore that eerie similarity. As he then noticed a pinkness in her cheeks and knowing his mom wasn't one for sampling the sherry, he squinted and bent down a little and decided to voice his suspicion.

"Anyone else here?"

After a slight hesitation, she said, "I invited Buzz."

At the mention of Hickey, Jeff found his chest tighten. While he had urged her to invite him, he was still a little unnerved at the idea of them together. At least he supposed they were together. He considered he should probably clarify that, but in the moment he was a little lost as to how to ask her. Maybe he didn't really want to know.

Conscious that she was searching his face for a reaction, he said, "Good."

"Really?"

Affecting a blasé demeanor, he replied, "Yeah, Mom. Remember I even suggested it. And Annie will be thrilled that he's here."

That appeared to settle her, and she began to smile with less hesitation. She then said, "He's been such a dear with the boys. He's been helping them build a trap for Santa."

"Of course he is."

She chuckled. "Holly and the kids are going to stay over night this year. We thought they'd like to be with Sophie."

Jeff cocked his head and considered this. He had been feeling really bad for his cousin after he heard the latest that she had apparently spent Thanksgiving with her parents while the kids had stayed with Matt and his family. If he had only known in advance, he would have found some way to have jammed her into their crazy Thanksgiving celebration. But she had kept that private, probably just feeling pretty lousy about the whole thing. He was silently once again grateful that they were moving Adam out of the picture so that they wouldn't have to worry about sharing custody of Sophie.

He said aloud, "That's an awesome idea."

"Holly will take the pull out couch downstairs. We'll see if Braden wants to sleep with her or join Sam and Sophie upstairs."

He found himself remarking, "So, you'll be making up the living room couch, and Ian and Britta will be in the den I suppose?"

"Yes, dear."

He nodded and then, against his better judgment, plowed ahead, "So, with me and Annie in my old bedroom, that really leaves limited options for _sleeping_."

He stared at her, noticing her face move from a slight pink hue to crimson. It was almost unbelievable at the rate of tonal change, and he instantly wanted to turn and run.

"Jeffrey!"

Another swat came to his chest, and he cringed.

She cast a quick look around to make sure no one had come in before turning back to him and hissing, "Well don't look at me like that after what you implied!"

"Mom, I'm sorry!"

"Are you? That was…."

-"Hey, you've said worse to me."

"That's different. I'm your mother."

The color had calmed in her face, and she was puffing out her chest slightly, probably in some attempt to counter her embarrassment with indignation. He could relate.

He leaned down and made his most resolute face. He whispered, "So where is he sleeping?"

"You don't get to ask that."

"Ah. I have my answer."

She shook her head. "If you must know, although I can't fathom how you're talking to me, your own _mother,_ like this, he's going home sometime after dinner."

"And then climbing up the trellis? He probably has a grappling hook or two in his unmarked white van."

Another swat.

"You are to stop this, right now."

At that moment, he figured he probably should stop. He decided to channel his inner-Annie and be a decent person. He asked, "Are you guys dating?"

She closed her eyes and waited a few moments before responding. It seemed like an awkward and somewhat painful eternity, but she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him with a resoluteness.

"I appreciate the direct question. We have been spending more time together."

"Soo….?"

"I suppose."

He let out a breath and then stepped back a little. The simplicity of her response kind of took him off guard. He wasn't sure if he was ready for this. His mom hadn't brought a guy home to meet him in years, and the past ones were not the finest specimens. But he did sort of know Hickey, and he had been pretty damn helpful with the Cornwallis situation. Somehow he suspected this was different, which perhaps irrationally scared him.

He managed, "That's great, Mom."

He expected a narrowed eyes and sardonic response, but he was jarred when she reached up and pulled him down into a fairly intense embrace.

X

X

After initial greetings with everyone else, including some grunts from Hickey, festivities were underway. The kids ran around with the dogs in the backyard for a little bit as it wasn't too cold out, and Dorie and Annie made hot chocolate for everyone. Jeff made the decision to wait to have his special drink until he was speaking with his aunt and uncle, which he resolved would be as late as possible and preferably right before they left.

He was sharing this plan with Britta and asking her to join him in that ritual later when he became aware of her tensing. He asked, "You don't wanna drink with me?"

She rolled her eyes.

"What, are you pregnant?"

She punched him in the shoulder, and he winced.

"No, jackass." She stepped closer to him and said in a hushed tone, "I just feel a little guilty drinking in front of Ian, so I don't anymore."

"You put up with him when you're sober? Impressive."

She narrowed her eyes and simply said, "I'll have you know, we are in a full functioning, monogamous, and healthy relationship."

He noticed the preen beginning and had an urge to take her down a peg, but made the grownup decision to actually be nice. His conversation with his mother had made him more attuned to the fact that perhaps if one has had a series of awful relationships one is entitled to recognize when one is in a better place. Again, he could relate.

He said, "Yeah, I guess you guys are. That's great."

She continued to stare up at him with suspicion as she chewed on a carrot stick from the veggie tray. He then felt a soft body clasp itself around his left leg and quickly did some calculations. It wasn't Hank or he would have been rammed. Ruffles was within eyesight and didn't have the ability to wrap her paws around him, and it wasn't Sophie or Sam as the creature was too low.

He bent down and hoisted Braden up to his shoulder. At the giggles and drool, he squinted at the kid and said, while reaching for a napkin, "Hey there, Brad. Merry Christmas."

" _Hi. Fee Daddy."_

He found himself smiling. He replied, "That's right. I'm Sophie's daddy."

As he wiped the kid's face, which elicited some mild poutiness, he was jarred by a slap to his arm.

Why did people hit him all the time? Was it because he was so tall? Did they not think he could hear them?

He looked down at Britta, who he could have sworn wore an expression of guilt.

She blurted, "We get high together."

"God, please. Now is _not_ the time for us to talk about that."

"But like not _all_ the time. But I really like weed."

"Christ."

X

X

Eventually Santa made an appearance, not before being assaulted by a plastic trash bag of helium red and green balloons opening up over his head as he entered the foyer. The giddy little shrieks subsided and Santa got down to business, calmly taking out various presents from his sack and handing them to the children.

Sophie clasped her hands together in excitement and began jumping up and down as he came toward her with a medium-sized wrapped box.

" _My baby sister!"_

Jeff slapped his hand over his face as he heard the roars of laughter from all around. Annie leaned into his side and interlaced her arm with his.

Santa clarified, "Alas, it is not a baby sister, Miss Sophie. Remember, I said Santa couldn't do that. You have to talk to your parents. But this is something else you want, and I think you will enjoy it very much."

Sophie's expression faltered for a brief moment before she resumed smiling and accepted the gift. As she tore it open (Jeff placed a steady hand on Annie's thigh to stop her from 'helping'), her eyes widened.

" _Id da Hulk!"_

Sure enough, it was a plush doll of the Hulk. Jeff had to give it to his mom on that one. That was a pretty good present. Annie broke free and jumped down to the floor and helped Sophie remove the doll from its box. Sophie then hugged it tightly.

" _I wanted dis! I wanted dis soooo much! Dank you, Santa!"_

"You're very welcome."

They made the annual decision to exchange other presents after Santa went back to the roof and Ian came back from the bathroom. He had apparently been having tummy troubles.

X

X

Annie made her way over to Hickey, noticing he was sitting by himself since Dorie had gone with the kids into the kitchen to explore their green makeup kits. Jeff had followed, complaining the whole way that this was a bad idea. Annie had rolled her eyes and told him not to be such a grouch.

She sat down and said, "I'm so happy you're here with us this year."

He shrugged. "Yeah, Dorie insisted."

"Where do you usually spend Christmas? Or…wait, I think Ian told my mom you're Jewish?"

He snickered for a brief moment before resuming a more stoic expression. He said, "Nah. I'm Irish. Ian was just messing with me." He then looked at her with a flash of concern before quickly adding, "Not that it had anything I'm sure to do with your mother. She seemed all right."

Annie let out a long sigh. "That's fine. You don't have to say that."

He shrugged once more and then mumbled, "My son Hank's Jewish. His mom was. She was quite the dame."

"You didn't convert?"

"Nah. Jeff converting?"

"It's not really that important to me. I want to raise our children with both traditions."

"That's what we did."

She had so many questions about Hickey's relationship with his family. She knew Hank's mother was dead, that Hickey had also been married to another woman and had another son with whom he actually did have a relationship. He had told her generally about the estrangement with Hank, but she still couldn't piece everything together. And she was a curious person.

She asked her question with a soft tone, "Where's Furio?"

Hickey sighed and hunched forward, placing his forearms on his thighs. He stared toward the kitchen door as he replied, "He's in Vienna with his husband for a month. They're both academics so they had a chunk of time off."

"Do you usually spend Christmas with them?"

"Sometimes. Last year though they went to Greece. I suppose they don't wanna hang out with me."

"Oh…"

-"It's okay. We get together at other times, and it's all good. I can't blame them for wanting to take advantage of a full month off."

"You have a winter break too."

He cracked a wry smile. "Yeah, and I'm sure Furio wants to take his ol' dad with him on a romantic vacation."

She nodded and leaned back in her chair, knowing he would likely follow, which he did. As they sat side by side, both facing toward the kitchen, they could hear the excited squeals.

" _I gween! I finally gween!"_

"Oh my goodness, dear! You are certainly green!"

"Yeah, munchkin, you look frickin' amazing."

" _I do? I sooo gween!"_

" _I'm green too, Sophie! Let's make Braden green!"_

"And….that's a firm 'no.' I will continue to hold this child aloft and keep him safe from the clutches of the incredible hulks."

" _Uncle Jeff, Hulk is GOOD! He doesn't hurt Braden! Braden is his little buddy!"_

" _Yah, Daddy. Bwaden the little buddy!"_

"I know, but Braden doesn't want to be green, do you, Braden?"

More squeals.

"Oh, for crying out loud."

Annie laughed and noticed Hickey was silently convulsing. She said, "I'm really happy you're here."

"Thanks. It's good."

She steadied herself for a moment but decided now was probably the only time she could ask.

"Why did you leave our place without saying goodbye?"

He took a deep breath and then turned to face her, which surprised her a little. Regarding her with some intensity, he said, "I was no longer needed. I did the job."

"But you could have said goodbye."

"I didn't want to bother you. You were having a good time with your friends. It's always best to make an unobtrusive exit."

Annie shook her head and found herself wiping a tear from her eye. She said, "That's ridiculous. I hate it when people don't say goodbye. It's a lousy thing to do."

She looked up and noticed his expression had morphed into one of remorse. He then startled her by pulling her toward him into a hug.

He mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, I shouldn't have just left like that. You don't deserve…."

She didn't know what he was going to say, as they were interrupted by a squeaking sound. They pulled out of the embrace and looked down to see Ruffles cocking her head while holding her brand new squeaky toy in her mouth.

Hickey bent down and took the toy from Ruffles and then tossed it toward the kitchen. It went long and low, hitting the floor and then gliding across the linoleum. Ruffles tore after it and went careening ahead before successfully chomping on the toy as she hit the lower cabinet. Appearing to be unfazed, she pounced to her feet and leapt to the right out of view.

Jeff shouted, "Crap! There is too much going on in here!"

Squeak squeak.

Cackles of little but Hulky laughter.

" _Daddy, you wanna be gween too? Ooooh, can we make Wuffles gween?"_

"Hell no!"

"Jeffrey, language!"

Annie turned to her side and took in the sight of Hickey now howling. He slapped his knee and rose. Turning toward her, he said, "Wanna join me in seeing what they're up to? I don't think your hubby can handle it."

She smiled and nodded. "He does seem to need some help."

X

X

Dinner was over and Ellen, Lou, and Maybelle had gone home. Ian was making up the den for tonight, and Holly, Annie, and Jeff were setting up the beds, couch, and child things while tending to the boys. Dorie and Hickey had gone for a walk with Hank and Ruffles.

Britta sat at the kitchen table with Sophie on her lap. They were coloring in a new coloring book, Sophie not doing the best to stay in the lines, but it was fun. Britta reflected on how she had never thought she'd be good with kids. But she and Sophie seemed to always get on well.

As Sophie scribbled, she said, _"I can't believe I'm gween. Gosh."_

With a smirk, Britta said, "You look really cool. But you know, when Sam's done with his bath, you're supposed to get cleaned up too. No more green for today."

At this, Sophie frowned and paused in her coloring efforts. She lifted her head and said with a glint of mischief in her eyes, _"Mama say bath but Daddy say no bath."_

"I don't think that's true."

Instantly, Sophie scrunched up her green nose and scowled. Her index finer pointing at the air, she barked, _"Mama say Sophie you get in bath! You so diwty! Und Daddy say no id okay you gween. No bath. I lub you."_ She then dropped her hand and stared at Britta with blank eyes.

Britta did her best to maintain a relatively calm demeanor. She picked up a light blue crayon and began to fill in part of the sky as she said, "I'm pretty sure your daddy's going to make you take a bath."

" _Mama always say no fun you can't but Daddy say no und then Daddy say yessss."_ Sophie smiled triumphantly and seemed to await a reaction.

Britta couldn't help but snort, and at Sophie's ensuing giggles, she coaxed Sophie to continue coloring. She then mused, "I see. So your daddy's a big pushover. I'm so surprised."

" _He not a cheetah. He a pig."_

"Well, on that, I have to agree with you. He absolutely is a pig."

"Ahem."

She startled as she looked up to see Jeff leaning against the doorway.

Before she could think of a good wisecrack, he said, "Oink oink."

Sophie whipped up her head and shrieked, " _Daddy! Oink Oink Piggy Piggy!"_

Jeff mock ran over to them and scooped Sophie up and flipped her around so that she could ride his shoulders. As he stood to his full enormous height, he said, "Did you have fun with Aunt Britta?"

" _Yah!"_

"Good. Now we're going to find Mommy. She has something special for you. New bathtoys." He winked at Britta and then carried Sophie out of the room.

Britta reflected on how far the doofus had come during their four years at Greendale. It was kind of astounding. She supposed she had changed as well, but she liked to think she didn't have to climb as far out of her respective pit.

At that moment, Ian entered and joined her at the table. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as he said, "Den's all made up. What a day. I might just crash soon."

She looked down at Sophie's coloring book with a wistfulness. She then exchanged her blue crayon for a pink and lightly added some shading to the underside of a grizzly bear.

At her sigh, Ian opened his eyes and regarded her for a few moments before asking, "What are you thinking about?"

She shrugged and kept her eyes on the paper. "I dunno. Sophie's just so sweet. I never thought I'd be good with kids."

"You're excellent with her. She really looks up to you."

"You think?"

"Absolutely."

Britta smiled with satisfaction, feeling a flush in her cheeks. She then lifted her head and met his questioning gaze. She said, "I delivered Shirley's baby. It was pretty gross."

He raised his eyebrows and remarked, "I don't doubt it."

"I used to think that maybe I'd one day have a natural birth, no meds, just the full on magical experience."

Ian's throat tightened and he suddenly felt very hot. He stood and made his way toward the cupboard. "I'll make us some tea."

Oblivious to his discomfort, Britta resumed scribbling and droned on, "I just thought it would be so cool, and I'd be such a good person for bringing a child into the world like that. But after yanking out that little guy from Shirley's vagina, I don't think so."

He let out a sigh of relief and as he put on the kettle.

She added, "Epidurals are definitely the way to go. Annie told me she had one. I feel bad that I judged her for it."

Ian tensed once again as he stared at the kettle. He slowly turned around and walked back over to the table. As he sat, he said with a slight tremble, "I was unaware you had given childbirth this much thought."

Britta nodded adamantly. "It's something every woman should think about. We can't let the man make those decisions for us. And well, I figure a woman probably invented the epidural after she had to go through all that pain, so hey, it's not a bad thing."

Ian bit his lower lip and then said, "I was, err, under the impression that you weren't interested in motherhood."

Britta paused in her coloring and looked up. Her eyes widened as she regarded his frantic expression, and she quickly said, "Oh, what? Oh, noooo. I didn't mean that…I mean, nooooo."

"No what? Motherhood?" 

"Nooooo."

"No what?! No what?! You can't just bloody talk casually about fucking epidurals and how you…you just can't!" He slammed his fist on the table and then began whining softly.

There was a creaking sound.

Jeff had appeared in the doorway, and they all stared at each other for a few awkward moments before he made the tactical decision to slowly back out.

After he had gone, Ian turned back to Britta and gave her a pointed look. He cleared his throat and then said, "I apologize for my outburst. I suppose we should discuss our respective views on children."

Britta was still regarding him with wide eyes and she then smiled sheepishly. Dropping her crayon and letting it roll to the side, she sat up straighter and after casting a glance back at the doorway to make sure Jeff was really gone, she said, "I'm sorry I brought it up like that. I didn't mean…I was just thinking out loud."

"Which is precisely my point. You were thinking about it, so err, I suppose we should discuss it." He hesitated before adding, "Right?"

She shrugged a little too quickly, betraying her embarrassment, and then said, "I guess. Since we're in a _relationship."_

He nodded and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. "Righty. So you want children. Right."

"Whoa! I didn't say that."

"Oh, right. You didn't. Yes?"

"What?"

"You don't want children?"

"I don't know."

The kettle whistled and Ian rose to attend to it. He took his time pouring out their tea and then presented Britta with her cup before sitting across from her once again.

Britta said, "Thanks." She regarded her tea, wishing it were fully brewed so that she could slam it. If she had to honest, she wanted something quite a bit stronger right now. She added, "I definitely know I don't want to give birth to a child. Hell no. But maybe adoption? Like I adopted my cats?"

Ian ran his hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh.

She asked, "So I assume by your freak out that you don't want kids?"

"No."

"You make a good Santa." She smiled tentatively over at him, and he dipped his head so that he was peering over the tops of his glasses.

He said, "Thank you, but it's a far cry from playing that jolly fellow to playing _dadd_ y. Which is something one can't really play at. It requires an ongoing steadiness."

"You're great with the crabs."

"Those are crabs. Fuck, Britta."

"And Ruffles."

At the mention of Ruffles, he shrugged. "She's a dog, and a very well-behaved one at that. Not a child, which is, shall I remind you, a fragile human being. They cannot be left alone, they need to be fed, burped, changed, and disciplined. We both know how serious that undertaking is and how it can go wrong."

At these words, her heart sank a little.

"You don't think I'd be a good mother?"

He groaned and then pushed the glasses back on top of the bridge of his nose as he said, "I wouldn't be a good father. You and I both know that. You would probably be an excellent mother if you wanted to be. But you'd probably have to seriously cut down on the Mary Jane."

She bit her lip and seemed to consider his words for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure if I want to be. You kind of just made some really good points."

"I most certainly did."

They regarded each other with some awkwardness before they were interrupted by the sound of plodding little feet followed by a louder thudding. A wet and naked Sophie ran into the room and promptly made her way under the table.

" _Help me, Tit-ta! Mama mad!"_

Britta exchanged bemused looks with Ian and then peeked under the table to see Sophie's moist face gazing up at her.

A scowling Annie entered holding a ducky towel. She barked, "Sophie Ariel Edison Winger, you come out here this instant!"

" _No! I no wanna be dwy! I wanna be wet! Wet und gweeeen!"_

Annie shook her head and got on her knees so that she could see under the table. As she shuffled closer, Sophie began screaming.

Britta silently mouthed to Ian, "I think I'm convinced."

He nodded sagely.

X

After the kids went to bed, Braden making the decision to join the sleepover upstairs and Sophie electing to sleep with her new Hulk doll in addition to Ruffles and her bear, the adults spent some time relaxing. Eventually, Hickey said his goodbyes and made his way to the front door, Dorie rising to escort him out.

The rest of them sat around the television, watching as 'It's a Wonderful Life' played at low volume. Annie snuggled into Jeff's side and attempted to pull his attention away from where it was focused toward the front doorway.

Holly smacked his leg.

"Ow! Why does everyone keep doing that to me today? I'm sitting, so it can't be my height."

Holly rolled her eyes. "Jeff, please don't worry about your mom. I think her boyfriend's really nice."

Jeff startled and turned to face Holly. He said, "Boyfriend? Since when are we referring to him as that?"

"She told me they're dating."

"I know that. But boyfriend? Are you serious?"

With a hint of annoyance in her voice, Holly said, "Yes, boyfriend. Get used to it. I think he's in it for the long haul. He told me he's drawing up plans to build the kids a tree house out back sometime in the spring. Isn't that just the best?"

Jeff smiled tightly as Annie continued to nuzzle into him. Britta made some remarks about them getting a room and Jeff replied something about that being an excellent idea and he couldn't wait to take his wifey upstairs before he was smacked yet again, this time from the wifey.

Dorie came back, and Jeff briefly wondered if there had been a special 'goodbye.' He pushed that thought down deep into the pits of his stomach.

She sat down on the other side of Holly and asked, "Now what have I missed?"

Britta promptly answered, "Oh, we were just talking about how much we're glad you invited Buzz."

"Really? I know he doesn't talk much, but…"

Jeff felt the buzzing all around, as everyone began offering their kind words about Hickey. In the old days, it would have overwhelmed him, and he would have pulled out his phone or excused himself to go into the garage and steal a drink. But not this year.

Jeff made the decision. It was simple. Support his mom.

He interjected, "Mom, he's great. I'm really happy that you're together."

He felt Annie awwwing silently into his side, and it was pretty nice.

X

X

After saying their good nights and peeking in to check on the kids, Jeff and Annie retired to their room. Jeff let himself sink down into the mattress and Annie soon joined him, clad in her matching purple pajama top and long pants bottoms.

He turned on his side and cast a bemused look up and down her body, and she simply said, "I know. But I have to dress appropriately when we're at your mother's house."

"But you don't have to be a Quaker in here with me."

"Jeff."

"Wanna fool around?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She grabbed his roaming hand and interlaced their fingers as she looked at him with a tenderness. "What you said made the world to your mom. She told me she was very touched."

He let out a long breath and then said, "Well, I still don't know the guy that well, but I know he helped you, and he was really good with the kids, so I think he's probably a decent person. So I'm going to have to push aside all my freak outs and get used to the fact that my mom is coupling up."

At this, Annie grinned and moved her face closer. He smiled back and they lay there for about a minute, each other taking in the sight of each other.

Finally, Annie broke the silence and whispered, "I love you so much. Merry Christmas, my husband."

"Merry Christmas, my wife."

They settled in to a very special hug.


	29. Advanced Family Law Part One

**Chapter 29: Advanced Family Law, Part One**

 **Summary: It's a wild and crazy time**

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: Apologies for the delay with this chapter. Tumblr Community Appreciation Week 2018 and various other things demanded some of my time.** **)**

 **The penultimate chapter for part four!**

 **xxxxx**

"So this is an interesting way to go about things. I wasn't expecting this." Abed tilted his head as he stared up with somewhat blank eyes.

Jeff took a moment to collect his thoughts, conscious of his tendency to groan or, at more chaotic times, snap at Abed's questioning of his plans. Despite having near four years of friendship as a guide, Abed never did seem to know that Jeff Winger was the head of the group, and that he made pretty darn good decisions.

He did, right? Wait, was this a good idea?

He pursed his lips and affected a somewhat detached demeanor as he replied, "There is no textbook way to go about this, Abed. We already got married, so yes, while I know it might be a little confusing for you that we're doing the bachelor and bachelorette parties now, it seems as if everyone wanted to do something." He took a deep breath before adding, "So here we are."

Jeff leaned back nonchalantly against the bar and motioned for the bartender. Troy stepped closer and shook his head before nudging Jeff to move back. Jeff furrowed his brow and did so, and Troy took his place and proceeded to order a pitcher.

Troy was a pretty good buddy. He even had down the drinking buddy thing. Jeff briefly considered that was probably not a behavior he actually wanted to encourage in Troy. Part of Troy's charm over the past few years was his ability to ward off traditions of masculinity, especially the toxic kind.

God, he was starting to think like Britta.

Abed continued to stare at Jeff and simply said, "Oh, I get that. I was more thinking we've already done a bachelor party episode, so I don't think we should really do another one. It gets stale."

With a nod and tight smile, Jeff said, "I see." His eyes darted to the tables pushed together near a booth in the back of the bar. Hickey sat slightly slouched and was looking somewhat irritated as Kevin droned on about something.

Abed followed his gaze and then let out a low whistle. "Yeah, that."

"Do you think I made a terrible mistake? Inviting Hickey?" Jeff's voice had dropped to barely above a whisper, and he annoyed himself as he felt his words hang in the air.

He had been trying, for his mom's sake. After Christmas, they had stayed with her for a several days and had a pretty nice time, Jeff treating his mom to a movie so the two of them could have some time alone. Although they hadn't spoken directly about her relationship with Hickey, she seemed to be in high spirits, and she would reference _Buzz_ frequently in the context of pointing out something he would find interesting or a place where they had gone out to eat. It had been somewhat unsettling for Jeff, but he did his best to not be a jerk about it.

After New Year's, when all of their friends began chattering about the bachelor and bachelorette parties, and Annie had mentioned she was going to invite his mother to hers, he had felt a gnawing sensation in his gut which led him to inviting Hickey.

Of course his mom had bowed out of Annie's invitation, offering instead to watch Sophie, Sam, and Braden at her house so that Holly could go. So it hadn't been needed anyway, for him to invite Hickey, but Annie had awwwed and he couldn't rescind it. He never thought he'd show, but here he was.

Abed waived a hand in front of Jeff's face until he blinked and then said, "I don't think so, Jeff. I can talk to him more about my buddy cop movie."

"You're going ahead with that thing?"

"After I'm finished with my current film, which is very close to being complete." He wiggled his brows and then turned swiftly to make his way toward Hickey.

Jeff gulped and plopped down on a barstool, Ian suddenly appearing and sitting beside him. At Troy's motioning for cash, Ian sighed and reluctantly produced some before addressing Jeff.

"My dear fellow, you made your mum happy." He slapped his back and jerked his head in the direction of Hickey.

Jeff watched as Abed directed Kevin toward the dartboard and then sat down in front of Hickey, deftly producing two cigars. Hickey scowled and made a shooing motion, and Abed merely shrugged and placed the cigars back into his side pocket.

He said dryly, "I might as well be a good son to her now instead of lying my way through everything just to try to make her happy."

There was a noticeable hesitancy before Ian offered, "She's very proud of you. More so now then when you were a so-called lawyer. She's simply delighted that you include her more in your life."

"She should thank Annie for that." Jeff shrugged and felt oddly uncomfortable sitting near a bar where he and Ian had spent most of their free time together over the years. Somehow things had changed. He had awoken out of his narcissistic delusions and Ian had sobered up. Yet here they were.

Ian mused, "Oh, she does. But you're the one who let Annie into _your_ life, so I guess you should get some of the credit for that."

Jeff cracked a smile as he considered this. He had been pretty smart when it came to putting aside all of his irrational fears and deciding to commit to something real with Annie and Sophie. He couldn't imagine his life without them, and he felt a pang at the thought of them being gone. He had the sudden urge to check his phone and reached for it.

No texts or calls. He supposed Annie was having a good time at her party, which if he understood it correctly, was going to be a sober one. He suddenly thanked the stars that his wouldn't be.

If upon cue, Troy thrust a mug in his hand, and he readily accepted it, clinking glasses with Troy and Ian, who was nurturing a ginger ale.

After a hearty sip, Troy said, "Thanks for letting us do this for you, Jeff. You can't understand how much I've needed this after spending Christmas with Pierce." He winced and placed his free hand on his abdomen.

Jeff smirked over the top of his mug at Ian, who had begun spinning on his stool. Jeff then remarked, "I told you that was a bad idea. You, Abed, and Pierce in LA? Sounds about as much fun as a root canal."

"Well, we did have some fun, touring a bunch of Hollywood places, but Pierce kept tripping over things and got us kicked out …

Still thinking about Annie and Sophie and how much he missed them, Jeff scanned the room, as Troy droned on. His eyes skipped over Pierce, who was in the corner punching the jukebox, and took note of what he was coming to silently call the 'dad crew.' He half smiled as he spied the table next to Hickey where Andre, Thanos, and Ryan were chatting. While Ryan didn't really know the other two that well, he supposed they all had something to talk about. He briefly considered feeling guilty about not watching baby Elizabeth tonight, given how often Nancy and Ryan had helped out with Sophie, especially when she was little(r), but then he remembered they were out to celebrate him and Annie, and besides Elizabeth was just fine with Ryan's sister.

Annie hadn't had a sister who could have helped her in the early days with Sophie.

She had been all alone.

He shooed off the Dean's attempts to get him to join in an apple pucker shot. It reminded him of an Appletini.

God, he missed Annie.

Why was he doing this anyway?

He spotted Mark entering the bar and then waving wildly as he approached, as if no one could see him. Jeff chuckled, recognizing the sheer dorkiness of his soon to be business partner. Although Mark could suave it up when he put on a nice suit, he was really a pretty goofy guy when he was in causal wear, which he was most definitely now. The jacket was missing and so was his tie, likely discarded in his car after coming back from court.

"Tango!"

"Cash."

They smirked at each other and then Mark leaned forward and gave Jeff a hearty slap on the back as he said, "You ready for this?"

"I'm already married, so yeah."

"I meant Monday."

Jeff inwardly stiffened, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to remain composed. Monday would be the adoption hearing, in only three days. He was feeling both giddy and nervous for some reason about the whole thing.

God, he missed Sophie.

She'd probably hate being in a bar though.

He wondered what she was up to at his mom's? Probably building a fort with Sam and Ruffles.

He managed, "Yeah, that. Pretty excited. As long as you put on a tie though, cause otherwise I will be pretty embarrassed to have you as my lawyer."

Mark let out a loud laugh and then bought a round. Troy helped Jeff gather everyone near the tables, and as they all either sat or stood around, Mark declared, "I don't think I know most of you, but I'm Mark, Jeff's colleague, business partner, and friend. Oh, and I'm also his lawyer and will be representing him Monday when he officially adopts little Sophie. He's a great guy, and I'm really happy for him and Annie. So here's a toast to growing up, forming a family, and looking mighty sharp while doing so!"

As everyone raised their glasses, Abed shuffled next to Jeff and whispered, "Sequel?"

Jeff ignored him as he took a hearty sip and then reluctantly turned in his direction. With a sigh, he remarked, "I fail to understand what you mean."

Abed pointed over at Mark, who was now chatting amicably with the Dean who was lightly skimming his hand over Mark's lapel and making a comment about the fabric, and then turned his focus back to Jeff. "You and him. Tango and Cash. Business partners."

"Yeah, I guess."

Jeff waited for Abed to elaborate, which he knew he would. He couldn't believe that one of his best friends in this world was a nerdy film buff, but here they were.

Abed said, "Nice. It'll get you out of Greendale more. Although, I hope you'll still come to visit sometimes since most of us will still be there. Don't tell anyone, but I'm creating a fake admissions letter from a fake university that happens to be located right next to Greendale."

Jeff squinted at him and merely cocked an eyebrow.

Abed clarified, "So that Britta will think she can pursue her masters in Counseling without leaving Greendale."

Holding back the obvious comment about what would happen once Britta discovered she couldn't actually enroll in classes in a non-existent university, Jeff merely nodded and resumed drinking his beer.

His phone buzzed and he swiftly retrieved it and read the text:

[The Wifey]: I'm so disappointed. Daniela has morning sickness, so she's staying home with Dino.

He typed back: That sucks.

It was then that he spotted Anthony being accosted by the bouncers near the front door.

X

X

Annie sat frowning at her phone. She had been missing Jeff, which she knew was kind of silly, as she just saw him an hour ago and would be meeting up with him later tonight at home. Part of her had been concerned he'd over do it, getting crazy drunk while she remained sober and she'd have the ugly task of making sure he wouldn't puke over their bed. She didn't really want their celebrations to end like that, as she wasn't really feeling these where bachelorette and bachelor parties anyway, given that it seemed she and Jeff had committed to each other long ago.

Yet certainly the biggest commitment would be on Monday, when Jeff would officially become Sophie's daddy. Her heart swelled at the thought, and somehow it didn't seem right that they were all out and Sophie was at Dorie's, even if she strongly suspected Sophie was being indulged and was probably having the time of her life.

She grinned a little as she thought of her daughter having all of the love that she hadn't felt from her own family in a long time. Sophie deserved to have a grandmother who was as caring as Bubbe. She missed Bubbe, and she began to feel suddenly intensely sad that the dementia was so far gone that she wouldn't be able to celebrate with them on Monday.

"Oh honey, are you okay?"

She jerked her head up from her phone to see Shirley's big kind eyes regarding her. She then realized she had been tearing up a little and frantically wiped the side of her face. She sniffed, "Um, yeah. I was just thinking about my Bubbe and how she won't ever get to know Sophie and Jeff."

Shirley scooted closer to her in the booth and then placed one hand firmly on her shoulder. "I'm sure part of her knows. Why, you still visit her and she's met them. They say people can sense things even if they can't communicate."

"I hope you're right, Shirley. Thank you." She smiled half-heartedly and set her phone on the table.

Britta, who was now returning with Nancy and a round of mocktails, plopped down on the other side of Annie and instantly grabbed her phone.

With a roll of her eyes, she said, "Oh is this why you're crying? He didn't text you back?"

Annie swatted her hand and grabbed her phone, looking down at the screen:

I'm so disappointed. Daniela has morning sickness, so she's staying home with Dino.

[Jeffy]: That sucks.

She had typed back: Yeah, but you know what? I miss you and Sophie. So much. I'm here with my friends but I want to be with you. 3

"Britta! That's private!"

"What's with the Jeffy crap?"

"That's between him and me."

"Gag me."

Annie stared at her for moment and then composed herself. Pulling the phone out of Shirley's hands, which she hadn't realized had grabbed it while they were speaking, she said, "I miss him."

Nancy gave Britta a warning look and then addressed Annie, "I think it's okay to miss him, but he has his own party, so I'm sure he just got distracted."

Annie shrugged and mumbled, "I guess. I was just hoping for a little heart. I taught him how to use them."

She ignored Britta's grunts and warmed at Shirley's _that's nices_ , and then felt even happier as she spied Holly return from the restroom and join Nancy opposite in the booth.

She looked around at all of them and realized this was a pretty odd assortment of female friends she had acquired over the past few years. When she had been in high school, she never would have predicted by her fourth year that her best girl friends would be a former anarchist who was actually a softie, a former drug addict who had mentored her through some of the worst times of her life, a determined and fiercely loving Christian woman who was raising three kids while returning to school to pursue a new career, and a strong and sensible soul who was going through a terrible time but who continued to demonstrate a groundedness that Annie admired and had turned out to be a good friend who had given Sophie a pretty great friend.

Yes, these were her friends, and she realized she wouldn't be who she was today without them.

"Oh honey, why are you crying now?"

"I love you guys. Thanks for celebrating my…" she sniffed as she used air quotes, "bachelorette party." She leaned to the side and was conscious that her mascara was most likely running like mad down her cheeks.

Holly leaned forward and said, "Come on, just because you guys got married doesn't mean we can't have a bachelorette party. You deserve it." She reached over and clasped Annie's hand.

Slightly miffed at not having thought of it herself perhaps, Shirley placed her arm around Annie's shoulders and gave a good squeeze.

"Thanks." Annie sniffed once more. It felt nice to be surrounded by people who loved her. She had a thought that the whole bachelorette and bachelor party thing was a little ridiculous, as she was missing out on all the love from her male friends, and Jeff could use the support of his female friends.

But she supposed this is just what one did.

Britta was tapping her glass. "I think we should do a toast."

Annie instantly brightened as she awaited Britta's words, which for some reason in the moment she thought would be amazing.

Suddenly realizing all eyes were on her, Britta blushed and then self-consciously stammered, "Oh, um, I don't know. Can someone…." She turned to her right, and Nancy nodded and picked up a glass.

She regarded Annie with tenderness and the hint of amusement. She said confidently, "Annie, I've known you for the past few years, and I always knew you were going to do something with your life. You have the most determination of anyone I've ever met, and I know it's been really hard, and I'm proud of you." She paused before continuing, "I'm not talking about marrying Jeff, although that was a pretty good move since I'm fond of the guy…

Annie smiled as she remembered how Jeff always referred to Nancy as the one who tricked them into dating. She would never forget how dashing Jeff had looked that night he took her out to the fancy dinner, and she guessed part of her knew then that things wouldn't be as simple as what they pretended they would be.

-"I'm referring to your ability to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and give yourself a pep talk and solider on. And you've done it all with your baby girl, a child who takes after you so much and who you've been raising in a remarkably attuned way…"

Annie pictured Sophie's scrunched up little face as they had said their goodbyes to her earlier that evening, the way in which she had batted her lashes twice at them, which always felt like a little love punch to the gut.

-"And to top it off, you're at the top of your class and pursuing a career in a field I think really suits you, and you're going to be great. So congratulations on your marriage, yes, and congratulations on what's to come on Monday, yes, and congratulations on being you, Annie. Thanks for being our friend."

"Awww!"

She took hugs from everyone, and although she was now having a better time, she couldn't help but miss her Jeffy and her baby.

X

X

"Hey, let go! I'm twenty one!"

"Sure you are. Get out of here."

"I have an ID…"

Jeff jumped to his feet, realizing the trouble Anthony was about to get himself into. Fake IDs could get him arrested, and if he produced one, it really depended on the bouncer discretion. He didn't need both Edison siblings having a record.

He also didn't want to have to restrain Rachel from shoving her high heel into a police officer's crotch.

Placing a hand firmly on Anthony's arm to dissuade him from reaching further into his pocket, he said quickly, "Excuse me," and then turned toward Anthony and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Anthony let out one of his annoying groans and looked up at Jeff with a hint of pleading in his eyes. He said, "I wanted to join your bachelor party. Cause we're family now." He then turned to the bouncer with a sneer and explained, "He just married my sister, so I have every right to be here."

"No you don't kid. And if you give us a fake ID we're calling the cops."

At these words, Anthony went pale and still. Jeff pushed him out the door and then had a chat with him outside.

Within a few minutes and after a conversation with the Dean, alternate arrangements were made.

X

X

Annie was in the middle of sipping her surprisingly delicious Apple-mitini when her phone buzzed and she deftly swiped it from Britta's clutches.

[Jeffy]: Hey we had a change of plans. No more bar. Care to join?

With a giggle and then feeling intrigued, she typed back: Maybe. What are you guys doing?

[Jeffy]: Are you up for an adventure? PS I miss you like crazy and yes here's a 3. Did I do that right?

She nodded emphatically and then proceeded to type back while grinning from ear to ear.

X

X

"That was wild."

Annie swatted Jeff's chest as she continued to cuddle up against him while they sat on the floor in front of the study room couches. She said, "You had fun, admit it."

Jeff chuckled and placed a kiss on the top of her head. She craned her neck so that she could see his face. He was scanning the room, his eyes dancing in that way they did when he was genuinely amused.

She followed his gaze and regarded the pile of unconscious or semi-conscious bodies strewn about the room on various pillows or on the floor itself. She turned to her left and spied the bony ankle and then asked, "Abed, are we done?"

Expecting him to perhaps be nodding off like everyone else, she was startled by him suddenly sitting up and saying, "I pronounce this game over. Annie, I mean, Hector, congratulations on that last move. Genius."

Jeff squinted at him and said in an affected bored tone, "I think you may have nudged Hector in the right direction. Someone might think you were rigging the system so she, I mean he, would win."

"Let's just use the pronoun _they_ , Jeff. It'll be a hell of a lot easier once everyone does that, but I digress. I didn't help Hector cheat. That's against my code. Game is over." Abed then jerked his head toward his right and almost shouted, "Buzz, Troy, I think we should go home."

There was a whimper, and Abed merely shushed Troy and then proceeded to lean over and awkwardly attempt to rouse a snoring Buzz, whose head was obscured by a massive D&D handbook.

As she watched him continue to nudge a slumbering Buzz, Annie asked, "Why would he go home with you?"

"He agreed to help me with my buddy cop movie."

Jeff interjected, "I seriously doubt that."

Undeterred by the continued snoring, Abed pounced down from the couch and crouched in front of Hickey. He studied him for a moment before removing the handbook and then explained, "He will. I just have to get him into some hijinks where he ends up doing something uncharacteristic and then he's forced to admit that I exist."

"Ahh."

Annie cast Jeff a worried look and then bit her lip and turned to face Abed. She eyed his poking of Hickey and said, "Abed, maybe you should just ask him? But wait until tomorrow…"

"What the crap?"

Hickey shot up and sat there looking dazed for a moment before he collected himself enough to shove Abed over, which elicited a contented smile on Abed's face.

Jeff leaned down and whispered into Annie's ear, "I think we should go home."

She nodded and let him assist her to her feet and then took a look around the study room, noting that Anthony was sprawled out in between Thanos and Pierce. She squeezed Jeff's hand and let go, gingerly making her way over toward them while ignoring Jeff's groan of exasperation.

She knelt down in front of Anthony and tapped him on the shoulder. She whispered, "Anthony. Time to go."

Anthony stirred and opened his eyes, instinctively placing his hand over them once he realized how bright the lights were overhead. He moaned, "Man, that was intense."

She smiled and replied, "Yeah. Sometimes Greendale has that effect. Anyway, Jeff and I can drop you off."

Jeff had now joined them and said, "Hey, Annie, I don't know if I really want to.."

Anthony finished his sentence and said, "Deal with mom? Yeah, I know. I told her where I was going by the way, but she told me I'd get kicked out. Well, I showed her."

Jeff exchanged looks with Annie and then smiled tightly. He said, "Hey, your mom's going to be pretty pissed off. And I…"

Thanos, who had slowly been sitting up, interjected with a yawn, "No prob. I can take him home."

Annie smiled gratefully at him and said, "Thank you." She felt Jeff's hand massaging her back. Although it had been a fun evening, they needed some time alone.

She and Jeff stood, and now that they had been chatting and Hickey had been grunting at Abed, everyone else seemed to come to and begin to gather their things.

Shirley and Andre appeared by their side and Shirley exclaimed, "This was nice!"

Annie gave Shirley a hug.

Andre chuckled. "Yeah, it was, surprisingly. Thanks for having us." He slapped Jeff on the shoulder and began to escort Shirley toward the door. Shirley muttered, "I can't wait to get home to my boys."

Annie suddenly turned to Jeff and said, "I want to see Sophie."

He nodded knowingly and offered her a small smile.

"Yeah, me too."

X

X

They made their way to Dorie's, luckily both completely sober so driving wasn't too much of an issue other than it was very late. They tossed Holly in the back, where she slept soundly while Jeff made some cracks about Hector now and then. Annie offered him a blushed response, but they both knew that their priority at present was reuniting with Sophie. It hadn't seemed right that she wasn't with them tonight, and although their original plan was to spend the night at their apartment, this decision felt right.

They arrived and knelt down to greet Ruffles, who had somehow heard them and made her way downstairs, tail wagging. Jeff pressed his face down toward her and she began licking him across his cheeks and mouth.

Annie spotted Jeff's contented expression and her heart swelled once more. She leaned down and scrubbed Ruffles under her chin, and exchanged bemused looks with Jeff before they both stood and made their way upstairs, Ruffles and finally Holly now fully awake, following.

They peaked into Sophie's room and spotted her and Sam contentedly tucked into their sleeping bags on the floor, Mr. Bear and Mr. Hulk between them. The crib was nearby and Braden was sleeping peacefully. Ruffles deftly jumped onto the end of the empty bed and circled three times before sitting down and bowing her head.

They all smiled at each other, and when Holly mouthed she was going to sleep on the couch downstairs so Annie and Jeff could have Jeff's bedroom, Annie shook her head and encouraged Holly to take the room and explained she and Jeff would stay with the kids. At this, Holly sleepily shrugged and readily accepted, and after giving Braden a soft kiss on his forehead, she bid a whispered good night and shut herself into Jeff's room.

Jeff placed his arm on Annie and asked in a hushed tone, "What was that about?"

"Let's camp out with them." Annie smiled and then went over to grab a couple pillows off the bed and then knelt down and placed them on the floor.

Jeff crouched down and gave her a pointed look as he whispered, "Come on. You're not sleeping on the floor. Stay with Holly and I'll camp out here. Or at least take the pull out couch."

She huffed in response and hissed, "The point was we are spending the remainder of this night as a family, Jeff." She began fluffing the pillows and motioned for him to grab the large quilt folded on a chair in the corner.

He sighed, rose, and grabbed it. As he rejoined her on the floor, he tried once more, "I don't think you should sleep on the floor."

"Why not?"

He hesitated for a moment, then licked his lower lip and sat down firmly in front of her. As she looked over at him questioningly, her eyes wide even in the darkness, he explained, "What if you're pregnant? I don't want my wife and unborn child sleeping on the floor."

Her inquisitive expression quickly melted as she let out an, "Awww."

He shrugged and raised his brows before once again gesturing toward the pillows and then shaking his head.

She whispered, "Our _child_ is already on the floor. I'll be fine."

"But what if…?"

"I'll be fine, Jeff."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Fine or fyne?"

"Fyne."

" _Mama, Daddy, stop. Sam sleeeeping. Shhhhh."_

They both instantly and guiltily snapped their heads down to see Sophie staring up at them, her arms now clutched around her Bear.

Jeff whispered, "Crap. When did you…?"

" _Hi."_

"Hi, sweetie. We're sorry we woke you up." Annie lay down next to her and placed a hand lightly on Sophie's tummy.

Sophie turned her head and said with a little squeak, _"You come back. Gamma say not til morning time."_

Annie nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She explained, "We missed you and wanted to come back sooner. Can we sleep here with you and Sam?"

Now looking very pleased, Sophie replied, _"Yah, Mama. Nite nite."_ She then turned her head toward Jeff, who was now hunkering down on the other side of Sam. She reached her hand over to him, conking the Bear in his face. She loudly whispered, _"Nite nite, Daddy."_

Jeff rubbed his nose and then carefully redirected her bear-infused hand back over Sam, who was still sleeping soundly by some miracle. He patted her head and said in as low of a tone as he could, "Nite, Sophie."

" _Say nite to Bear und Sam."_

"Nite Bear and Sam."

" _Und Braden. He sleeping over dere."_

"I will whisper a good night to Braden too. Good nite."

" _Now Mama."_

Jeff grinned and lifted his head, making eye contact with Annie in the mostly dark room, only a hint of moonlight streaming in through the far window. She seemed as bemused as him, and he knew she made the right call in them all camping out tonight as a family. He stretched his arm further to take Annie's now outstretched hand in his, and gave it a squeeze.

"Nite, Mama."

"Nite, Daddy."

" _Nite nite."_


	30. Advanced Family Law Part Two

**Chapter 30: Advanced Family Law, Part Two**

 **Summary: A love story**

 **xxxxx**

 **A/N: We've made it to the end of part four, dear readers. A big appreciation to those of you who have taken the time to provide kudos, feedback, and general encouragement/enthusiasm. This story would never have gotten this far if I had been writing into the void.**

 **This has been a great opportunity to practice writing in a supportive atmosphere. I highly encourage anyone who thinks they can't write to try out writing the story they've had stuck in their heads. Please consider sharing with us, and it'll get a lot easier the more you do it. I cringe when I re-read my earlier chapters, but heck, that's part of growth.**

 ***** Please know that while I originally planned to end this tale here, there will be a part five.**

 **xxxxx**

On Monday, they geared themselves up for court, Jeff making sure to don his best light grey suit, even if he wasn't technically functioning as a lawyer, as Mark would be handling everything. He busied himself with adjusting and readjusting his tie as Annie went through her own hurried wardrobe changes before she settled on a sensible black skirt and purple floral sweater with flats.

When they heard the knock on the bedroom door, Annie glanced at Jeff with a soft smile before she walked over and opened it to reveal Dorie standing there, holding Sophie's hand. Ruffles gingerly jumped off her spot on their bed, where she had been dozing, and came over to lick Sophie's arm.

Annie took in the sight of a giggling Sophie in her dark purple romper with pink tights and bright purple sneakers. She grinned and knelt down, giving her a kiss and then pulling back to take in the full picture. Ruffles hunched down in the play position and began wagging her tail, watching the interplay between mother and daughter.

"You look so nice, sweetie. Did Grandma help you get ready?" She carefully adjusted Sophie's glasses, which were slightly askew, and then let her hand caress a ringlet.

Sophie glanced up at Dorie and smiled and then turned her attentions back to her mother and replied, _"Ya, I put on my pwetty dwess."_ Seeming to suddenly notice Annie's outfit as well, she gushed, _"Mama, you so pwetty! We both wear puwple! We da same! Und I adopt Daddy today!"_

Annie wiped a tear from her eye as she considered the significance of the day. Her daughter would officially have a father who adored her and would always be there for her. She knew Jeff had slept fitfully last night, anticipating what was to come, and although she had wished he had gotten more sleep, she knew he was all angsty out of love.

She gave Sophie a big hug as she said, "Yes, you and Daddy are going to adopt each other. It's a very special day."

Sophie tilted her head and threw her hands open wide as she exclaimed, _"We mawwied und we adopt!"_

She let out a squeal when she spotted Jeff over her mother's shoulder, and she then pushed Annie back and giddily ran over to him so that he could pull her into his arms and hoist her up.

Annie merely laughed and stood to give Dorie a hug. With a sigh as they stepped back, she said, "Thank you for staying over last night on the couch. I'm sorry it's not that comfortable."

Shaking her head, Dorie, who Annie now noticed with bemusement was clad in a smart grey skirt suit which was oddly similar to the color of her son's outfit, offered, "It was fine, dear. I didn't have any trouble sleeping." She then winked over at Jeff and Sophie and added, "And if it meant getting to be here first thing to be a part of this special day, then it was worth it."

She walked over to Jeff and Sophie and instinctively reached up to offer a slight adjustment to Jeff's tie. He awkwardly shifted as he continued to hold Sophie, but his grin was almost infectious, and he regarded his mother with what could only be described as a sense of joy.

Annie watched the interplay and almost burst into tears, she was so overcome with love, contentment, and gratitude for her life with Jeff.

Dorie returned Jeff's expression and said with a tone of assuredness, "Jeffrey and Sophie, this is such an important day. I'm delighted to be here."

Jeff blushed and placed a kiss on Sophie's cheek. As she leaned down onto this chest and began to suck her thumb, he motioned with his free hand for Annie to come over and then pulled them all into an embrace.

Ruffles did her best to join them near their feet.

X

X

"Adoption complete."

The judge's words echoed through the courtroom, and Jeff felt a rush of relief. Although he knew this would be a simple matter today, part of him had somehow feared something would go wrong. Adam hadn't even needed to appear and was merely represented by his own council, so they hadn't needed to deal with him, but it had still been an intense experience as the judge had listed out all of the requirements for the rescinding of parental rights, which while in service of a very good thing, made Jeff's heart ache.

It was only when the judge moved on to list the responsibilities of adoption and the assumption of parental rights did Jeff begin to feel an energy he had never experienced before, even during his most successful trial wins. The adrenaline had been flowing and he could see the end in sight. Sophie would be his daughter for all the world to recognize. No more internal hedging about their relationship, no more freak outs about Adam coming to take her away, and no more awkward explanations at day care.

Annie had been helpful and giving him lots of hand squeezes, and he could tell she was more excited than nervous, which he supposed helped. They had decided to spare Sophie from the courtroom itself because they thought it would be boring and confusing for her, so she had waited with Dorie in the hallway, along with a bag full of her favorite toys, coloring supplies, and snacks.

This was it.

Adoption complete.

The judge continued, "Jeffrey Tobias Winger, you are now the legal father of Sophie Ariel Edison."

Jeff nodded in almost a daze, and he then looked down to see Annie grinning at him. He returned her smile.

Annie nudged Mark, and he patted her on the shoulder in an effort at reassurance. He then said, "Your honor, we also have a request to change the child's name from Sophie Ariel Edison to Sophie Ariel Edison Winger. The paperwork should be attached."

The judge, now smiling broadly herself, flipped to the next page in her stack and took a moment to read through it before she signed and then looked back up.

"Sophie Ariel Edison Winger it is."

To everyone's surprise except for Jeff's, Annie immediately squealed and proceeded to jump into his arms. He held her tightly and found himself mumbling into her neck, "I love you so much. I love Sophie so much."

He felt her kisses on his collarbone, and for a brief moment it seemed as if they were the only ones in the room. They were a family, and he was officially a father, something he suspected he had always wanted but something he never really thought would happen. He really had meant it when he told Britta a few years ago that he thought it would be an honor to raise a child. It was a privilege, something he never understood someone could simply throw away.

He certainly never thought he'd become a father in this way.

Did he become a father on the Greendale Library steps, meeting a Disney-eyed munchkin who had been wearing a little pink bow on her head? While he hadn't known it exactly in that moment, he had felt something shift. He knew she would be important to him, that her mother would be important to him. But that probably wasn't it.

It hadn't been until later on of course that he had felt the parental feelings. Did he become a father when he held her that first time, when Annie had been so exhausted and needed a break? He had been pretty terrified at the idea of dropping her, a fear he had projected completely onto poor Britta. Yet he hadn't really minded holding her, even if she screwed up his phone game score. She had been pretty snuggly and cute before she had started screaming. But that probably wasn't it.

Did he become a father when began to look forward to any reason for Annie to 'toss her over' to him? When they first played peek-a-boo? When he had given her a kiss under her little ear and she had laughed? He and Annie hadn't been together, there was no real understanding that they would be together, yet he suspected he was pretty much hoping they would be together at some point, but he had been too freaked out to admit it. He probably had wanted to be her father then.

Did he become a father when he held a sleeping Sophie in his arms while eavesdropping on Annie's call with Adam, understanding in concrete terms that Adam had no interest in being there for Sophie's first birthday? He had felt a lot of empathy for her in that moment, and something had pulled at his heartstrings.

Was it when she had said her second word, when she had said 'Hi' to him? That was pretty adorable, and he had felt a bond.

Was it when she had called him a string of D words and he had felt almost paralyzed before ranting about car seats? That had certainly been a moment when he had made a choice, a choice to be honest about pursuing something real with Annie.

No, wait. Was it when she had thrown the bear at his face the morning after his and Annie's first 'date?' Hadn't he mentioned something about them getting her into softball? That was a pretty committed thing to say.

Wait. Was it when he had given her the bear? No. That would have been way too early on. And yet…

"Guys, hey, um, maybe we should leave."

Hearing Mark's words, Jeff and Annie startled back to the awareness that they were actually not alone. Jeff gently let Annie drop to her feet and they both chuckled awkwardly, blushing with embarrassment and probably adrenaline. They turned toward the judge and saw her shaking her head with a wry smile.

X

X

Annie couldn't stop squeezing his hand after that. To be honest, she had the strong desire to climb him like a tree and have her way with him right there after the judge had said he was Sophie's father. She probably would have succeeded in that if they hadn't been in public, and while she was a little self-conscious about their display, she didn't regret it. She never wanted to be out of physical contact with him, not ever.

She gave his hand another squeeze.

As they listened to Mark detail when to expect the official certificate in a few weeks, she felt her mind swirling with thoughts about how the three of them had come to be a family.

How was she to know that the dashing and slick man she met that day in the study room would be the love of her life and would be her baby's daddy?

She recalled the comment she had made to Jeff once he agreed to be Sophie's daddy, even before there was any talk of him actually adopting her. She had said, 'I had a baby before I met her daddy.'

Those words were startling but so very true. And his reaction to them, when he had pulled her in closer and held her tightly, told her all she needed to know. He was in this for keeps.

But she supposed the one who mattered the most was Sophie. She wondered when her little girl had chosen Jeff as her daddy. If she really thought back on it, she wondered if Sophie always kind of thought of Jeff that way, after all he had always been there, and she saw him every day and he'd help pick her up from daycare a lot, and sometimes he'd spend the night….

And then they had tried 'casual,' and he had ended up spending almost every night with them. And he had helped her learn to walk, had been there for her first word, had helped her even before then when she had been sick….

They had been a family for a long time, and today they were merely making sure the whole world knew it too.

She felt the warmth radiate throughout her core and leaned into Jeff's side, now fully becoming present as she thanked Mark for his help.

X

X

They stepped into the hallway, hand in hand.

Mark bid his goodbyes, sharing he was off to handle another case, and then shuffled off toward courtroom number eleven. They watched him go and then turned their attentions back to each other.

Annie exclaimed, her heart full of love and relief, "You're Sophie's daddy!"

Jeff's eyes popped wide for a moment before he merely bit his lip and let out a long sigh. It had been a surprisingly exhausting morning so far, and all they had needed to do was dress nicely and show up. It was surreal, how he could feel so lightheaded yet grounded at the same time.

He managed, "Yeah. Wow. She's my daughter."

Annie nodded emphatically and wiped a tear that had started rolling down her left cheek. With a slight waver in her voice, she said, "I can't wait to tell her. Let's go find her and your mom." She lightly yanked on his hand to motion him to follow her down the corridor.

He hesitated, still somehow not being able to move from his spot. He knew this moment was significant, and while he did ache to see Sophie, it seemed like he and Annie needed a minute.

"Just a sec."

He leaned down and kissed her, starting soft and slow before quickly deepening. They took their time, relatively speaking given they were in a public courthouse hallway, but they silently agreed to having another little bubble of alone time, taking the opportunity to savor this moment.

As they finally moved out of the kiss, Jeff smirked and said, "Let's go see our daughter."

X

X

Sophie's face lit up when she spied them making their way toward her. She was sitting next to Dorie on a bench, scribbling away in a coloring book while Dorie had been offering her encouragements. She jumped down, Dorie deftly grabbing the book and crayon before they hit the floor, and ran toward them.

Jeff expertly knelt down and pulled her to him, holding her tightly for a few moments so that he could say, "It's official. I adopted you."

" _Yay!"_

He stood and hoisted her to his shoulder, feeling the weight of Annie's arm now interlaced with one of his. As his mom came over to them, he said to Sophie in his most serious lawyer tone, "You've always been my munchkin, but now you are my legal daughter." He then squinted at her and awaited her reaction.

She seemed to consider this a moment, her brow furrowing. He wondered what was going through her little mind. They had been trying to prepare her for this, using language that she might understand, but it was always a little unclear how to go about it exactly. He mostly found himself making it up as he went along.

" _Leeegal?"_

He supposed he hadn't needed to use that word, but oh well. He decided to emphasize the most important part.

"Yes, you're _adopted_."

She nodded and said, _"Like Wuffles."_

She was too little to understand things really, not that he had an urgent need for her to grasp what it all meant. That would be another day, hopefully far off enough that he would be ready for it when it happened.

He said, "Right. So you're Sophie Ariel Edison _Winger_ now. And Mama's changing her name too, so she'll be Annie Edison- _Winger_."

" _We all Win-ar."_

Jeff didn't miss that she glanced over at her bear in Dorie's arms. He briefly wondered if she was going to ask if Mr. Bear could be Bear Winger.

He supposed that would be okay.

Annie, seemingly full of euphoria, piped in, "Yes, sweetie. We're all Wingers!"

" _Cause we're mawwied und adopt-ted."_

"Yup, munchkin." Jeff placed a kiss on her forehead.

" _I wanna go to Mc Donald's now. It's my special place."_

"You betcha, munchkin. Anything you want."

X

X

The McDonald's lunch went smoothly, although Annie noticed Jeff did his best to avoid eating the fries. She didn't make a comment when he went for the chicken nuggets, which was reminiscent of their chicken finger days.

She inwardly sighed as she recalled how comforting he had been when Abed had been so terrible back then, the way he had held her in his arms. She had felt safe, and she somehow knew he'd always take care of her and Sophie. Plus he was pretty sexy about everything. She had felt more than a little guilty about sniffing his cologne and noticing the way her body had responded to his touch. She had been with Vaughn back then, and she didn't really think she and Jeff would work romantically. So, her growing crush was just something she stuffed down and hoped would fizzle out.

But it had certainly turned out to be more than a crush.

She couldn't help but think about the way that, despite their denials that they were really a couple, he had made love to her the first night they were at his place. Of course they had been having types of sex before that, and she didn't really want to attach any special significance to the time they actually had intercourse, but there was something that shifted for them that night.

Up until then it had been playful and thrilling, but that night he had looked into her eyes and positioned himself so that he could maintain that intimacy, and the second time they had gone slower. It had been the way she had always wanted it to be with someone and the way it never had, not with her first boyfriend, not with Adam, and not with Vaughn. They had actually made love.

She hadn't wanted to get hurt, and although she had known Jeff well enough by then to trust he wouldn't ever intentionally harm her, she couldn't believe that it would actually work, something real between them. It still marveled her how it had been Jeff who had pressed the issue, in his own Jeff freakout way, and she was so grateful that he had. She had been a coward about the whole thing, tactfully avoiding labeling them as anything, anxiously going about their routines without wanting to address the effect it was having on them both, and of course without acknowledging the full impact of Jeff in Sophie's life.

Sophie had pressed the issue, too. Once Jeff had responded, it had still taken Annie awhile to fully let herself go there. She druggedly told him she loved him, and then the next day he had taken the initiative in moving their feelings out from the shadows into the daylight, even if it had been under a blanket fort. After that, it had been a lot easier. Not fully comfortable with the idea of committing, but well on their way.

She snapped her awareness back to the present moment, catching Jeff's eye and then smiling at him. She watched as he wiped ketchup off Sophie's chin, and she almost lost her breath at the thought that Sophie had such an attentive father. She was pretty glad about her decision to allow him into their lives, and she was confident about her decision to have another child with him. Although there was no news on that front, she was hopeful.

"I love you both so much."

Jeff, in the middle of talking to Sophie about her sticky hands, looked up and smiled.

Dorie watched everything from her spot at the end of the table, munching on her fries while contemplating how proud she was of her son. She was also darn happy that she now had such a terrific daughter-in-law and a pretty special grandchild.

X

X

The study group came over a little while later. Annie and Jeff had wanted to have a small celebration, but the group had insisted on them all being there, so they compromised and had the lunch with Dorie and then invited everyone else over for playground time and a small party with cake afterward back on campus in the study room, as it was the middle of January and much too cold to stay outdoors for the entire afternoon.

Hickey, invited by Annie, showed up a little bit later, and he sat down next to Dorie on a bench. Jeff didn't flinch when he gave her a peck on the cheek. His mom looked so happy, and he was happy. It was a special day, and there was love all around them. It was better than any wedding reception could have been, and it was better than any graduation.

He startled when he felt the camera touch shoulder, and then turned with a loud groan to see Abed's lens.

"Can you please put that down?"

"Not really, Jeff. I just need some final footage, and my film will be complete."

"Do I get to see this film?"

"Of course. But I really need you to give a good Winger speech to finish it off."

Jeff bit his lip and was thinking of a reply, when Annie, holding Sophie in her arms, walked up to them and tilted her head.

She said with a very sweet tone, "Abed, Sophie and I would like to see your film. Pavel just told us that you've edited most of it."

Jeff squinted. "Pavel's here? For Christ sake…."

-"Jeff." Annie turned back to Abed and said, "Please?"

" _Yah. I wanna see you movie."_

Abed moved the camera to his side and looked at all three of them, seeming to consider the request. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then turned toward Sophie and stared at her for a moment, his brown eyes becoming slightly larger as hers also widened and she fluttered her lashes.

Jeff, watching the display, remarked dryly, "It's the Disney eyes. You can't say no." He then smirked over at Sophie, puffing out his chest as he regarded her powers of persuasion. She many not have been his biologically, but he liked to think he had an influence.

Of course in this moment, she was clearly channeling her mother.

" _Pweease, Bed?"_

Abed took in a sharp breath and said directly to Sophie, "It's not finished. I still need the final Winger speech, and I don't have time to cut it together…"

-"Maybe we could just see what you've done so far? It's Sophie's special day."

Sophie nodded and continued to regard Abed with an intensity of hope that Jeff surmised no mortal could resist.

Damn, he was proud.

Abed turned cautiously toward Jeff and said, "I suppose I could show you what I have, but I need you to make a Winger speech I can add later."

Jeff shrugged. "Of course. I'll go make one now, I…"

Abed held up his hand and interjected, "No! I need a word with you alone first about something, and then the speech."

Jeff exchanged bemused looks with Annie and said with a sigh, "Fine."

He followed Abed over to a tree at the edge of the park and asked, "What?"

Abed glanced around, seemingly in an attempt to make sure no one was listening. He than appeared to take a deep breath before asking in a hushed tone, "What did you do with Evil!Sadie?"

The question took him more than a little off guard. Out of context, he wasn't even sure what he was talking about initially, but after giving it a minute, to his frustration, he realized where this was headed.

Of course, the Darkest Timeline.

He stared up at the sky and thought about how best to answer. He knew it would be fruitless to probe too much and he just wanted Abed to shut up about it already.

He made eye contact and replied, "I brought her and Evil!Munchkin back with me."

Abed's eyes widened, and he let out an almost imperceptible squeak.

Jeff added, "Don't get all weird. Everything's fyne."

Abed placed his camera carefully on the ground and then glanced over at Sophie, whom Annie was swinging playfully in her arms as Pavel chanted, "Mad swingy!" He then turned back to Jeff and asked, his voice barely above a whisper, "Did Evil!Sophie and Sophie merge?"

Jeff bit his lip firmly and crossed his arms, contemplating how best to respond. He didn't want to rile Abed up, but he could tell his friend was genuinely concerned.

"They did. She's whole now. Evil!Munchkin just wanted to be loved."

"Of course she did. She didn't want anyone to forget her."

A tear fell down Abed's cheek, and Jeff couldn't help himself. He pulled his buddy into a hug, noticing that the initial awkwardness was eased once Abed seemed to accept it, his thin arms clasping Jeff's back. He mumbled, "I won't ever forget her. I'll take good care of her."

"I know."

"And we'll always be friends, buddy. Heck, you're family."

He felt Abed's grip tighten, and he almost starting sobbing himself. As he considered once again the sheer wonderful strangeness of Greendale and its misfits searching for unconditional love, he knew he had expanded his family even beyond Annie and Sophie.

He mumbled, "I think I know what I'm going to say in my speech."

Abed suddenly stiffened and pushed Jeff back so that they could make eye contact. He said in a low and even tone, which was unnerving, "But where did Sadie go?"

Jeff let out a long sigh. Although he loved Abed, sometimes the flights into fantasy got a bit tedious. He had been hoping they could just enjoy this day, but he knew he had to say something to squelch this.

After considering it for a minute, he managed, "I really think she's also part of Sophie?" Even he had to admit to himself that sounded more than lame.

Abed seemed to agree and said, "That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Frankly, this is a huge plothole."

Jeff shrugged, but then was startled by Abed's sudden cocking of his head and pointed finger.

"Unless…" Abed appeared to do some mental calculations, accompanied by some air poking and glancing over at Annie before his eyes settled back on Jeff. He continued, "Ah….you're trying to have a baby, so maybe…yes…that would fit nicely."

Having surmised what Abed meant, Jeff couldn't help but try to maintain a neutral expression. He didn't want to get caught up in all of the ridiculousness, but suddenly part of him felt a kind of hope. Maybe Abed was right, maybe Evil!Sadie would become Good!Sadie.

Maybe Sadie was already here? He glanced over at Annie and wondered. They had been working pretty diligently on that front ever since New Year's, with the exception of last night. Having his mother sleeping on the other side of the wall had kinda killed the mood.

Abed suddenly shook his head. "No I don't think so. I'd know if that were the case." He looked back over at Annie and explained, "Sadie's not there, so I don't think your idea holds up." He shrugged and let out a low whistle before adding, "Plothole."

Jeff stared at him with almost a sense of fury. He stammered, "What the hell?! You don't know that, you don't know…"

-"I know, Jeff. I sense these things."

"You suck."

With that, Jeff stormed off toward the snow-covered swing set.

Abed's eyes widened as he suddenly spotted a small creature with a black goatee scurry behind a tree. He wasn't prepared for this and didn't know what it meant, so he decided to find Troy. There had to be some way to ensure Evil!Sadie wouldn't wreak havoc on this timeline.

This timeline was full of good things, and his friends must be protected.

X

X

Jeff pushed off a clump of snow and plopped down on a swing, feeling intensely irritated. He had a serious case of emotional whiplash from talking to Abed, and the day had been crazy enough.

To add to the crazy, Pierce decided to join him, sitting awkwardly on the swing next to him.

"Jeffrey, everything will be okay."

"Everything is okay."

"Is it? I overheard you and A-bed." Pierce tapped his right ear, out of which protruded a plastic device. He had been insisting all semester it was a super sonic Buddhist conch shell, superior to his ear-nocular from first year. No one had the heart to tell him it was a bona fide hearing aid. Which of course meant it worked.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Pierce sighed and made a tssking sound. He mused, "You know, Jeffrey, you have a smart and beautiful wife and an adorable and precocious child. You're lucky. No matter what happens. You don't need anything else."

"Right." Jeff regarded his boot as he kicked the snow. He didn't really need Pierce's platitudes. He felt his anxiety rising, and rapidly.

Seeming to sense this, Pierce uncharacteristically began channeling his first year mentor role and said, "You know, my problem wasn't that I couldn't biologically father children."

Jeff startled at those words. He had always wondered how much Pierce actually believed his delusion about super sperm. He supposed it made sense that Pierce had insight. They made cracks about his supposed senility but when it came down to it, Pierce tended to know perfectly well what was going on.

Pierce continued, "It was my selfishness. I lost my family because no one was willing to put up with me. So, you see, keeping Annie and Sophie in your life, and in fact keeping us all in your life, is really something you have a choice about. It's something completely within your control. And I have confidence that you'll do it better than me."

Jeff found himself relaxing for the first time that day. He stared off at Sophie, who was squealing with delight as she threw a snowball toward Annie, who pretended to be knocked over even though the snowball fell several feet short of where she was kneeling. Annie laughed and lay on her back, Sophie running over and throwing herself on top of her. Jeff smiled slightly, his eyes crinkling with genuine affection and love.

He mused, "You know what Pierce, you're right."

"Of course I am. So don't fuck things up."

"I won't. I promise."

X

X

Shortly thereafter, they went back to campus and the study room, where the Dean awaited them. It barely fazed anyone that he had brought the Greendale Human Being with him to witness the occasion of celebrating Sophie's adoption. He had picked up the cake from the bakery Shirley had recommended, and in the corner was a little picture of the Greendale flag. Annie rolled her eyes and put her thumb over that part, ignoring the Dean's protests.

Ian peaked his head in and let Ruffles off her leash, the dog tearing her way across the room. Jeff reached down and picked her up, taking a few moments to pet and nuzzle her before reuniting her with Sophie, who was sitting on Annie's lap. He then sat down on a folding chair next to Annie and took her free hand.

He turned toward the room and asked, "Abed, are you and Pavel ready?" He mouthed silently to Ian that he could stay, and Ian then puffed out his chest and strolled in, taking a seat next to Britta and Shirley.

Pavel gave an okay sign from behind the projector, and Abed sighed as he pulled down the large white screen in front of the chalkboard.

He said in a bored tone, "This is unconventional, watching the film before the Winger speech is made. I can't believe you talked me into this."

Jeff caught the glint of something in Abed's eye, and he was aware they both knew why this was necessary.

Annie leaned in toward Jeff and said, "I'm so excited!"

" _Yah! Bed make movie. I like movies."_

Annie kissed Sophie and Jeff did the same. He winked at Sophie, and she smiled.

"Let's roll, Abed."

"All right, I guess."

x

x

Abed's film, although not completely polished and obviously not finished, turned out to be more emotionally moving than anyone thought it would be.

No one knew how, but Abed, Pavel, and Troy had managed to capture quite a few significant moments from the last three and a half years, including some intriguing eye contacts between Annie and Jeff even back in first year and of course the debate kiss. There was even shaky footage from behind the glass wall to the study room of Jeff playing peek-a-boo with baby Sophie, seemingly oblivious to being watched. Annie squeezed Jeff's hand during that part as Sophie loudly asked from the audience who was the baby.

"That's you, sweetie."

" _Dat ME?"_

"Yes, munchkin." Jeff glanced over at Abed, his formerly warm feelings beginning to return. Abed gave him a thumbs up.

The film continued, portraying moments throughout their second year, Abed's voiceover throughout, narrating in an almost clinical way how Annie and Jeff's relationship transpired and wondering about the effects on Sophie.

"One might have thought she had said Daddy Jeff, but no one really wanted to admit it then. But Jeff knew. Annie knew. Sophie certainly knew."

Annie smiled over at Jeff, and he gripped her hand tighter.

There had been a smattering of interviews with members of the study group.

Britta, sitting on a bench in the quad and looking slightly annoyed as she quickly extinguished what appeared to be a joint, had said, "Yeah, Annie and Jeff. That kind of took me by surprise, but when I think about it, it makes sense. Annie's clearly not interested in dating boys, and Jeff's immature, so maybe they like meet in the middle or something. Hey Pavel, do you have any more weed? Oh, and you're not filming this part, right?"

There had been a moment when Pierce's hand had swatted at the camera and there was a scuffle before Pierce once again appeared, this time seated on a study room couch with his glasses slightly askew. He had said, "Annie and Sophie are my favorite. Jeffrey better treat them right or I'll…" He had made a fist and then Shirley had appeared to his left and taken over.

"Jef-frey and An-nie are made for each other! It fills my heart to see them together. Why, they are such very good parents to little So-phie and I hope to live to see the day when they make their union holy with the lord." She had hesitated and then looked into the camera sternly as she said, her voice dropping several registers, "You better get on it, Jeffrey."

Jeff, in the audience, nodded and turned toward Shirley, who was staring at him looking embarrassed. He silently mouthed, "Really?!"

She shrugged and then smiled widely. He turned back to Annie and Sophie and gave Annie a kiss on the cheek.

The next part consisted of Troy holding a football and standing in the outside field. He had mused, "Man, little Annie Adderall and Jeffrey Winger, the son of a bitch. Me, the big high school jock who let that blossoming flower of a nerd get away. It was my own self-sorption but," he sighed grandly before continuing, "I had to let Annie go. She and Sophie…" He suddenly widened his eyes and then bit his knuckle as he began to cry, "Abed, I can't play this part. I love them so much." He looked back up at the camera and threw his football to the side as he said, "Guys, you're a perfect family, and you've always made me feel welcome. Thanks. Let's stay family."

Annie and Jeff both looked back at Troy, who was seated next to Abed with tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Sophie pushed her hands against Annie's chest and turned herself around, standing up awkwardly on Annie's lap and shouting, _"Toy, you cwy! You fam-lee! You fam-lee!"_

Troy gave her a thumbs up, as Abed placed his arm around Troy's shoulder and instructed everyone to continue watching the film. Annie and Jeff were able to reassure Sophie and get her to sit back down.

The Dean had appeared on screen, seemingly busy with shuffling around papers on his desk, and then looking up and feigning surprise. As he was asked by Abed what he thought about the Edison-Wingers, he said, "Those two are some of my best students. Why, I must say I was a good Dean in helping Annie and Sophie attend Greendale."

The movie went on, eventually reaching Christmastime during third year, when Abed had been at Dorie's. There were some smattering of brief interviews with Dorie, Holly, and Dorie's elderly neighbor Maybelle, all speculating about Annie, Jeff, and Sophie.

Maybelle, sitting in a rocking chair in her own living room, had cooed, "I've known Jeffrey since he was a child and I always knew he'd come home and make his mother proud. That lovely Annie and precious little Sophie. Such a cute family. So much love."

And then -

"Yeah, my cousin Jeff's always been a weirdo, but now he's much less weird. I like Annie. She's probably the one who's made him much less weird. Oh and Sophie if you're watching this, thank you for being such a good friend to Sam. He's really happy you're his cousin."

" _Sam!"_

"Shhhhh, sweetie, there's more. Let's watch."

And then -

"My son is my life, and I'm so happy he let me back in. I couldn't be prouder, and I love Annie and Sophie so much. I'm very pleased. Now, dear, would you like a plate of cookies?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Winger! Don't mind if I do!" Troy's voice hung in the background as the camera moved on, panning over to Britta who had her tongue down Ian's throat at the kitchen table.

Jeff cringed and Annie chuckled, both deciding not to turn around to see Britta's bright red face as Ian laughed uproariously in the audience.

" _What they doing? Kissy Kissy?"_

The film continued, capturing Jeff's confession to his entire family in the dining room, Annie squeezing Jeff's hand during it, and the two of them hugging in the hallway, seemingly alone afterward. More included Jeff having a testy chat with Matt in the garage, Annie and Jeff lying on the floor as Sophie, Sam and baby Braden climbed over them, Jeff hugging his mom, and finally Jeff and Annie making out on Dorie's back porch, apparently filmed through the kitchen window in between the blind slats.

Annie's eyes widened and she turned toward Abed, who was merely staring ahead at the projection. She turned back and decided to resume watching.

" _That you und you Mama und Daddy! Kissy kissy!"_

Abed's voiceover continued, "The emotional growth demonstrated by Christmastime was significant. Jeff no longer worried about wrinkling his clothes by scuffling on the floor, and Annie no longer held back from fully embracing her life with Jeff. They were a couple and they were a family, and everyone knew it."

There was the marriage proposal day, Jeff and Annie captured in a quiet moment near the fountain with the purple lilacs and finally the staged proposal on the library steps.

Finally, the wedding itself.

Which seemed a little bit anticlimactic, something Abed acknowledged as he motioned for Pavel to turn off the projector. He addressed the group, "Guys, it's unfinished. I have more, including interviews with Sophie but I need to have a _contract_ ," he used finger quotes and rolled his eyes on that word, "in order to use it, so Jeff, Annie, please don't be lame." He then added, "And I need a Winger speech."

As Jeff began to stand, Abed motioned for him to sit down and continued, "But I also wanted to add a little something, a part I hadn't yet recorded." He picked up his note cards and continued, "I made a documentary of how Annie, Sophie, and Jeff formed their family. Mine feel apart, and you guys made yours."

Annie awwwed, but Abed shushed her and continued,

"Admittedly, I struggled at first with deciding the direction and scope. But it comes down to this. What kind of story do you want to tell? Of hope? How you view human nature? Possibilities for growth and change? Or do people remain static or turn cynical and become cartoonish versions of themselves? No, that last one won't do."

He gulped and then with more than a hint of emotion, said, "I decided to tell a love story."

Jeff felt his tears brimming and heard Annie's sniffling next to him. He looked down and noticed Sophie was transfixed, staring at Abed. For the first time since they had arrived in the study room, he noticed she was holding her bear. He cast his eyes down to the floor and spotted Ruffles regarding Sophie, tail wiggling.

So much love. So much love it hurt.

He was conscious of Abed's voice adding, "It's not a traditional love story. It's love of many forms, love between two conventionally attractive people, yes, but also between parents and children, children and parents, cousins and cousins, friends and friends. It's all love. It's all family."

Abed suddenly stared intently at Jeff.

Annie whispered, "I think it's time for your Winger speech."

Jeff nodded and finally stood. This time, Abed moved to the side, allowing Jeff to take the spot at the center of the film screen.

He looked over the group and said, "Three and a half years ago, when I came to Greendale, I met seven very important people…" He noticed the Dean's injured reaction and added, "Sorry, eight. And meeting these people changed my life. Yeah. I'm sorry. I – I don't know what to say."

The group all chuckled.

He looked over at his mom and Hickey and continued, "And my mom is the best. She's always had my back, but three and a half years ago I had shut her out."

Dorie smiled understandingly at him, and Hickey gave a slight nod, which he assumed was a form of encouragement.

He turned and addressed Annie and Sophie, "I'm so used to being the guy who can talk his way out of anything, but… what do you say when you don't want a way out? When you want so much to be a part of something bigger and better than yourself? I love you, Sophie. I love you, Annie."

" _I lub you, Daddy."_

"I love you, Jeff."

He smiled and continued, now addressing the entire room, "What you all have done for me is indescribable. It's unbelievable. And my love for you is immeasurable, even when you split it a gazillion ways."

The red light flickered on the camera as Pavel continued to film.

X

X

"That was sweet."

Annie tilted her head upward so she could see Jeff's face. They had been doing some serious cuddling in their bed as they decompressed from the big day.

He regarded her with an expression she could only describe as bemusedly-fulfilled. It was one of her favorite Jeff expressions, for he only used it when he was completely at ease. She so wanted him to be more relaxed, even if she didn't want him to ever lose his lawyer-shark-ambition. She always admired a go-getter attitude.

He remarked in a low and sexy voice, "Yes, it was. But I'm very happy to be alone with you."

She lifted her head a little so they could kiss, pleased that he readily moved his lips toward hers. As their lips began to touch, Sophie placed her hands in between them and giggled, _"No kissy!"_

Jeff closed his eyes and nodded with acceptance, his mouth in a half smile. Annie couldn't believe how much she loved him. He was such a good sport. She turned to regard Sophie, who was now standing on the bed and looking very pleased with herself. Up until a moment ago, she had been snuggling in between them and had been petting Ruffles.

Annie said with some mild sternness, "Sweetie."

She decided couldn't be mad at her, and she quickly grabbed her and pulled her into her chest, Sophie squealing in delight. Jeff then threw himself across her lap and grabbed Ruffles, the dog happily licking his arms as he moved her in closer.

They were in a family cuddle, she supposed. It seemed like the perfect ending to the perfect day, a day more significant than their wedding day. She never thought she'd have a thought like that, but it made so much sense.

Now petting her husband's crunchy hair and inhaling her daughter's baby sweetness, Annie decided, as stressful as things had sometimes been, she wouldn't change a thing in her life, for everything had led to this moment.

The Edison-Wingers were officially a family.

It was definitely a love story.


End file.
